Fear of Witness
“‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”
’Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.’”
Today’s Text: Matthew 10:34-42 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
Some of the hardest teachings in the Bible are found in the Gospel of Matthew, I think. But we also need to understand Jesus’s teachings in terms of what He was trying accomplish with it.
We must not think that Jesus literally came to make family members become enemies. He is saying that His arrival fulfills the prophecy of Micah 7:6. But the point of His teaching is found in the very next verse of the prophecy:
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
— Micah 7:7
Jesus’s teaching here is a part of the instructions that He gives to His disciples before sending them out on mission to the people of Israel (verses 5-6). And one of the major themes in the Gospel of Matthew is Jesus preparing His disciples for the persecution that is going to come upon them because of their witness.
Persecution may be the ultimate test of a believer’s faith. But no one wants to go through that test. Jesus doesn’t want us to suffer through that test, either. But He knows that witnesses will suffer persecution in varying degrees because this world is the playground of the devil.
The only thing that will enable, equip, and empower us to face persecution at any level is to grasp and accept with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind the supremacy of Christ over all things and all relationships. And of course, the strongest relationships we have tend to be family relationships.
I have this “Jesus Saves” tee shirt that I have no problem wearing around home or around church. But I always think twice about wearing it out in public. Even if some people might show support for the message, I feel a deeper uneasiness from the contempt of some people to the message. I confess!!! And forgive me, Lord!!! Either way, I frequently pick up on expressions of surprise and astonishment.
If our hope is not in Christ and Christ alone, it may be that the supremacy of Christ above all relationships has not quite sunk into our hearts yet. And vice versa.
The point is not to hate or disregard or think less of our family members. The point is to put Christ in the proper place in our hearts, if our desire is to be worthy of Him.
Father, You are worthy above all things. All things. We so easily say those words, but do I actually bear witness to that truth? Forgive me for my timidity. May Christ truly reign supreme in my life. And may my life and the life of the brothers and sisters here in Canvas be called worthy of You. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
