Preparing for persecution (part 3)

In Matthew 10:34 Jesus made the following statement to his disciples: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” This is a rather amazing statement, especially when you consider the following verses:

Isaiah 9:6

“His name shall be called… ‘The Prince of Peace.’ ”

Ephesians 2:14

“He Himself is our peace…”

Ephesians 2:17

“He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.”

But Jesus was not saying that he was not the source of true peace, which he was and still is, or that he did not desire peace on earth, which he certainly did. Rather he was saying that his very presence on earth drew a “line” so to speak, and everyone must choose which side of that line to stand on – either to accept Him as Lord and savior, or to deny him. There is no middle ground when it comes to Jesus – we are either “with” him or “against” him. (Matthew 12:30)

Jesus also made it clear in this passage that choosing him may very well cost his disciples their lives. But not only was there a chance that they might die because of their faith in him, Jesus also said that it might very well be their own family members who would betray them. In verse 35 and 36 he said that, as strong as “family ties” are, families would nonetheless be divided based on what they believed about Jesus, and that “a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”

Jesus then told his disciples that true allegiance to him meant holding to our faith in him even in the face of tremendous persecution. He told them in no uncertain terms that whoever loved their family members more than him was not worthy of him and that being his disciple meant being willing to both live and die for him: “He who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake will find it.”

Even though persecution of the kind described in this passage seems far-fetched to many of us today, it is even now very much a reality in many countries on earth. And the day will come when it will be a reality everywhere on earth. In verse 40 Jesus encouraged his disciples by saying that in a sense we are his ambassadors (See 2 Corinthians 5:20) – and that to receive a disciple of Jesus is to receive him, just as receiving him means receiving God. This is a wonderful thing to keep in mind when we find ourselves in situations where we are experiencing any persecution for his name’s sake.

Jesus finished this passage by turning his disciples’ focus to the future – assuring them that the eyes of God are still watching the sons of men, and that the day will come when he will reward us based on what we have done on earth – both to and as his disciples. And frankly, whatever other rewards he may be referring to, it will reward enough just to hear him say, “Well done!” I hope that looking at this passage has renewed your allegiance to Jesus Christ, as well as your commitment to be his disciple in the face of whatever persecution you may face.