Read Matthew 10:34-42
The Cost Of Following Jesus Isn’t Cheap. It May Cost Your Life.
Jesus says, “I did not come to bring peace on the Earth, but division, but a sword.” This doesn’t make sense because Jesus is known as the Prince of Peace. So did he come to bring peace or bring division? The answer is “BOTH.” He did come to bring peace into the soul of a person. A Peace of Hope and Salvation. However, there are those who will not see Jesus as the hope for eternal life and they will become hostile toward their family members who choose Christ. Look at the Muslims for example. If a family member amongst the Muslims finds the Peace of Christ, they face rejection, they are ostracized, and some even killed by their own family members. Vs 35-36 mentions how Jesus fulfilled the prophets words in Micah 7:6 that “A man’s enemies will be the members of his household.”
This is when we see that the cost of following Jesus is tremendous. Jesus said we must take up our cross daily or we aren’t worthy of him.
Taking up a cross for Jesus means willing to face pain and suffering, persecution, or even death for the sake of faith. We get to choose to save our life on Earth by denouncing Jesus, or choose to save our soul at the cost of losing our physical body. Denouncing Jesus means we are not worthy to be his followers.
So let us not get caught up in the temporary life on Earth but always to think beyond the temporary and look to the eternity that awaits us. Vs 40-42 is encouraging because it states that as we proclaim our faith, God will remember everything that we do and reward us accordingly. He will never forget the sacrifices we make for him and he will reward us for it. Even the smallest things we do for Jesus will be remembered and rewarded. Even the cup of cold water we give to a little child will be remembered and rewarded.
So choose Christ every time even if it means persecution from a friend or family member.
