GOSPEL STUDY: But a sword.
Season after Pentecost, 6/29/08
Prepared by Achile Bourquin
 
We continue this week with the second half of Christ's instructions to His disciples as they are found in Matthew 10:24-42.  Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible.
 
Matthew 10:34-42: Jesus said; "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth" (vs. 34).   The disciples are never to entertain false hopes that Christ and His Gospel would be received peaceably by the people of the world.  Rather, just the opposite would most generally be true.   The preaching of the Gospel would result in an increase in conflicts. This increase in conflicts is not the fault of the Gospel, or its preachers who greatly desire and labor for peace.  Rather, it is the fault of the wickedness of people.  "Christ who is the author of peace, becomes the occasion of disturbances in consequence of the wickedness of men" (Calvin).   We can certainly see this demonstrated in the life of Jesus.   Throughout the ministry of the great Prince of Peace, He was in ever increasing conflict with unbelieving people. 
 
"I did not come to bring peace (to the earth), but a sword" (vs. 34).  Christ's mission on earth was not to bring peace and unity to the world, but rather peace to souls troubled by sin, and unity among those who forsake all and follow Him; "among men with whom He is well pleased" (Luke 2:14). The Greek word "sword" means, "to separate".  Jesus brought to the world a sword that would separate one person from another.  This sword is not a physical sword, but the Gospel.  Several times in the Epistles the Gospel is referred to as a sword.  "And take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17).  "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12).  "Out of Christ's mouth came a sharp two-edged sword", and "I (Christ) will make war with them with the sword of my mouth" (Revelations 1:16, 2:16).  It is a NATURAL result of the Gospel to make a separation between people on earth.   We can see this in the life of Christ as the Jewish people are divided into two camps; those who received His Gospel and those who rejected it.   This working of the Gospel is especially vivid in the ministry of Paul as he preaches the Gospel in synagogue after synagogue.  His preaching resulted in each synagogue being divided into two groups which sometimes violently opposed each other (see Acts 13:14f, 14:1f, 17:1f, 18:1f, 19:8f).  Throughout history, the Church has been plagued with this same disunity, conflict, and division.  Although we always labor for peace and reconciliation among all people, many will reject Christ's WAY of peace and reconciliation taught in the Gospel.


Jesus confirms this truth by quoting an Old Testament Scripture; "For I came to set a man against His father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.  And a man's enemies will be the members of his household" (vs. 33f, Micah 7:6).  This Gospel separation will sometimes pierce the most sacred bonds of family life.  As Paul later teaches, this separation occurs because; "What partnership has righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light and darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever" (I Corinthians 6:14f)?

 

"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and He who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (vs. 37).   In the next few verses, Jesus speaks of our duty to accept this natural working of the Gospel.  To "love father, mother, son, or daughter, more than Me" in this context, means to value family relationships, or any relationship, more than we value Jesus and the Gospel.  We see this in John 9 where a man's parents refuse to testify of the truth because they fear separation from their friends and family at the synagogue (John 9:18f).  The man however boldly confesses Christ and endures the separation his confession brings.   Those who refuse to endure such separation are "not worthy of Me", meaning they have not yet come to true faith in Christ, and are not yet part of His people.
 
"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me" (vs. 38).  Jesus now speaks of this separation as a cross we must bear as followers of Him.   Those who reject this cross, reject Christ Himself.  "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it".   To "find our life" in this sense means to purposefully compromise our obedience to the Gospel in order to avoid the conflict it might cause in relationships.  This compromise will result in failure to inherit eternal life.  Those "who lose their life for His sake" are those who willingly make any sacrifice the Gospel demands of them.  These will truly find life in Christ.

 

Jesus now turns to the great rewards given those who heed the Gospel as preached by His disciples.  The reward is the same as if they had heard Jesus preach personally.  "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives Me, receives Him who sent Me" (vs. 40).  If we receive those whom Christ sent, we receive Christ, and the Father.  This statement applies not only to those who heard the preaching of these disciples in the early days of the Church, but it applies especially to those who heed the writings of these disciples; the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament.   Those who receive these Gospels and Epistles in our day, receive Christ, and the Father.  Those who reject these writings, or question their accuracy, reject Christ, and cannot receive the Father.

 

"He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward" (vs. 41).  This seems to be a repetition of the principle established above.  If we receive the disciples who spoke and wrote in the name of Christ, we receive Christ's reward, eternal life.  He likens the disciples to prophets who speak the words of God, and then righteous men who live in obedience to God.  Compare with Old Testament examples such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and many others, who were called prophets and righteous men.  The people who gave heed to their words received great benefit. 

 

Jesus then extends this principle to those who help these disciples in the smallest manner; "who gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward" (vs. 42).  Those who speak the precious Gospel words to us are to be treated with great kindness and helped in every way possible.   As Jesus spoke in another place; "To the extent that you did it to one of these brethren of mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:40).  Next week; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30.