February 03, 2025 | Be God's Family
Jesus Warns His Disciples of Persecution
Scripture: Matthew 10:16-42(NIV)
16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 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—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37 “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. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”
Devotional
In the first part of this chapter, we see Jesus sending out His twelve disciples for ministry throughout Galilee. He gave them authority over spiritual and physical brokenness, saying, “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:7-8). They were not to take money or possessions, trusting that God would provide food, lodging, extra clothing, or other needs along the way. This had to be heady stuff for such a ragtag group of guys.
Then, in today’s passage, Jesus let’s them know it won’t be all sunshine and rainbows. Along the way they could expect to be arrested, flogged, and persecuted in all manners of ways. Jesus climaxed his rally speech with this memorable one-liner: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Look at a few of the verses Jesus spoke in today’s passage. What was Jesus saying to His disciples? What is He saying to you?
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
“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.”
Poem
The Prayer Of The Persecuted
Psalm 69:1-8, Micah 7:6
Alone in the quicksand with nary a friend
No sister to help me, no brother to lend
A rope to hold onto to pull from the pit
The more that I struggle, the more I lose grip
Deep down in morass I continue to slip
My father against me, my mother, forlorn
My neighbors looks down on me, eyes filled with scorn
My enemies number far more than my hairs
I search for compassion, but nobody cares
O, LORD, come and rescue, ‘tis more I can bear
Though no one is for me, with you by my side
Who can stand against me with you as my guide
And where can I go without you there to see
My struggle, my grief, persecution’s decree
And so, now sustain me, my rescuer be
