WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.000 Welcome to church today. For those who don't know me, I think most people know me, but my name is Megan, and it's wonderful to be here with you all today. 2 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:27.000 So today we are continuing on our series through Matthew. We've spent the last two weeks in chapter 10, and today we're at the end of chapter 10, verses 34 to 42. 3 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:34.000 And that follows on directly from what Phil spoke on last week and Dan the week previous. 4 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:41.000 So this passage, as with every passage in the Bible, can be read on two levels. 5 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:49.000 Firstly, we read from a historical viewpoint, the what, where, and how of actual historical events. 6 00:00:49.000 --> 00:01:06.000 And then on another level, we read and we study the text to determine, you know, what this passage tells us about God, what it tells us about ourselves and the implications for us as a church today. 7 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:12.000 So in this passage, Jesus doesn't hold back in his conversation with his disciples. 8 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:19.000 He makes some very radical, controversial statements, even a paradoxical statement. 9 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:24.000 But to fully grasp the passage, we need to look at the context. 10 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:30.000 And I'll keep this short because I know Phil and Dan have also shared about the context. 11 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:50.000 So Jesus and his 12 disciples, they are currently in the region of Galilee, and Jesus is sending out his 12 disciples on what can be described as their first mission journey. They're going out on their own without Jesus. 12 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:54.000 And Jesus, you know, he gives them his authority. 13 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:08.000 He gives them specific instructions. He says, you know, don't go to Samaria. Don't go to, you know, outside of the country, to the Gentiles. Just stay within this region of Galilee. 14 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:17.000 And Jesus also instructs them how to act, that they should be wise and shrewd and act carefully. 15 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:26.000 And he warns them about persecution. Sorry. He warns them about persecution, and he gives them encouragement. He says, do not be afraid. 16 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:35.000 So the section that we are looking at today is Jesus's last words before his young disciples go out. 17 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:46.000 And we see that Jesus will build on some of the topics that he's already mentioned in the aim to prepare his disciples for what they are going to face. 18 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:57.000 So I've split these verses into kind of three different sections, and I've named them the sword, the cross, and the cup of cold water. 19 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:03.000 So starting at number one, the sword, I'm going to read out this short section again. 20 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:10.000 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 21 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:22.000 For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law. A man's enemies will be the members of his own household. 22 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:30.000 So Jesus starts us off with quite a confusing statement, you know, both to us and to the disciples. 23 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:46.000 The phrase do not suppose suggests, suggests to us that this would be the natural inclination for the disciples to be proposing to supposing, rather supposing that Jesus had come to bring peace. 24 00:03:46.000 --> 00:04:07.000 After all, one of Jesus's names is Prince of Peace. And we find that in Isaiah and it's foretold in the Scriptures that the Messiah would bring everlasting peace. And the disciples, they would have grown up with this problem, promise that the Messiah was going to bring peace. 25 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:15.000 And we do know that Jesus does bring peace. He brings peace firstly between man and God. 26 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:26.000 It says here in Romans 5, verse 1, therefore, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:31.000 And Jesus also aims to bring peace between mankind. 28 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:36.000 We know that when we are in heaven with him, there will be everlasting peace. 29 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:50.000 But currently, as we live our lives and as the disciples live their lives, the gospel of Jesus and Jesus himself, it brought division and separation. 30 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:55.000 And the image that Jesus uses is the sword. 31 00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:07.000 And the sword as we know, is sharp and it causes damage, it causes pain, it cuts through things. 32 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:32.000 So when we hear the gospel of Jesus, it demands a reaction. Either we believe it or we don't believe it. And that decision divides people and sometimes it breaks apart families and friends and it separates us from, from the closest people, our closest people, and the most precious people to us. 33 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:42.000 But Jesus in his life, he made some really non negotiable assertions. 34 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:47.000 For example, he says, no one comes to the Father except through me. 35 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:59.000 I'm the way, the truth and the life. That is a beautiful statement to those who believe it, but it's quite offensive I suppose, to those who don't. 36 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:09.000 So belief in Jesus and belief in his words divide people. And that division can be very painful. 37 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:15.000 Now remember that Jesus is preparing his disciples to go out to Galilee. 38 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:24.000 And this is important because we know for certain that at least half of Jesus disciples were from Galilee. 39 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:31.000 Peter and Andrew were from Bethsaida. And you can see that right at the top of the Sea of Galilee. 40 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:47.000 Philip was also from Bethsaida. James and John, also Galilean fishermen, they were either from Bethsaida or Capernaum. And then there's Nathaniel as well, and he was from Cana, which is right underneath the eye in Galilee. 41 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:54.000 So most of the disciples would have grown up in this area. They would have had family and friends. 42 00:06:54.000 --> 00:07:11.000 So Jesus is preparing them to go out with the likelihood that Division will happen not just between them and ordinary people, but between them and their families. 43 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:22.000 When I was a young girl, I grew up in a country called Gambia, the Gambia in Africa. And Gambia is a Muslim country. 44 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:31.000 And my dad, you can see him there, he had a ministry where he discipled young Gambian men. 45 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.000 And he also taught them a trade, mechanics and gave them a livelihood. 46 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:44.000 And I want to tell you a story about Lamin, who is the man in the red, which is very helpful. 47 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:48.000 So Laman was born into a Muslim family. 48 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:53.000 His entire community was Muslim. 49 00:07:53.000 --> 00:08:05.000 And so one day when he was a very young boy, he actually had a dream about a man named Jesus. And Jesus told him in this dream, come and find me. 50 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:23.000 And so Lahman, he asked his father, actually, who is Jesus? Who is the sky? He who I'm dreaming about. And his father, being a very strict Muslim, just said, you know, ignore the dream, it'll go away. Just keep on going with your life and forget about Jesus. 51 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:30.000 But Lahman kept having dreams about Jesus. And Jesus would tell him, come find me. 52 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:35.000 And so Lahman kept asking questions. 53 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:47.000 And so his father actually sent him to Quranic school, kind of to study the Koran so that he could be set on the right path, you know, the right Islamic path. 54 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:53.000 But every now and then, Lahman would continue to have a dream about Jesus. 55 00:08:53.000 --> 00:09:06.000 So when he got a bit older, he secretly and with determination he went out to the biggest market marketplace in Gambia called Serekunda, and he started asking questions about Jesus. 56 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:11.000 Could there be anyone that could tell him about who this Jesus was? 57 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:19.000 And eventually he got directed, eventually he got directed to one of the Gambian pastors in the area. 58 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:25.000 And this pastor was able to meet with him and answer all his questions about Jesus. 59 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:33.000 And eventually Lamed became a Christian and he decided that he would follow Jesus. 60 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:38.000 So the next step for Lahman was to tell his family. 61 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:58.000 So Lahman and the pastor went together to tell his family to tell his father and his father his reaction. His father beat him up, his father spat on him and disowned him. 62 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:04.000 And from that moment, Lahman has been ostracized from his community. 63 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:26.000 They excluded him completely and they viewed his conversion as such a shameful thing that every single one of his family and friends cut ties and they refused to see him and refused to stand in his presence. 64 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:37.000 So Lahman had nowhere to go. So he stayed with this pastor for a few years and then he joined the discipleship program that my dad ran. 65 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:44.000 But from this day, Lahman has never had any contact with his family. 66 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:57.000 Which is just mind blowing to us, you know, but choosing Jesus cost Laman his entire family and his entire community. 67 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:03.000 And we know that following Jesus and choosing Jesus comes at a cost. 68 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:21.000 You know, we cannot follow Jesus without having to make difficult decisions and difficult choices. And perhaps those choices aren't as big as the ones that Lahman had to make. But we still, in our everyday life, have to make choices. 69 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:31.000 Jesus takes precedence even over the closest and the most precious people in our lives. 70 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:35.000 One of the commentaries I read put it this way. 71 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:45.000 The message of God's kingship is one which always has and always will lead to violent response from those who are threatened by it. 72 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:52.000 To accept Jesus is to accept our share in the way he is treated by a hostile world. 73 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:55.000 So our context in Australia is different. 74 00:11:55.000 --> 00:12:15.000 We still face being misunderstood, looked upon with derision, mocked and even hated by society, by our colleagues, by people that just don't understand, and even conflict within our own families. 75 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:20.000 Recently I read a book called Surprise the World. 76 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:34.000 And one of the things it encourages is to live a questionable life, meaning that we should live our lives in a way that makes people question it. 77 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:46.000 And unfortunately for maybe most of us, I know for myself, that means stepping out of our comfort zone, because I would love to live my life kind of below the radar. 78 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:52.000 But it means living in a way that makes people react. 79 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:58.000 And some of those reactions will be positive and some of those reactions will be negative. 80 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:17.000 But hiding our faith and making compromises, trying to fit in and trying to seem normal, perhaps focusing on our fear of men over our fear of God, that is not what a disciple and a follower of Jesus does. 81 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:23.000 And that's a challenge and a good reminder to me as well. 82 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:27.000 So moving on to the next symbol, which is the cross. 83 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:31.000 And this is what Jesus. 84 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:36.000 Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. 85 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:41.000 Anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 86 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:46.000 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 87 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:52.000 Whoever finds their life will lose it. And whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. 88 00:13:52.000 --> 00:14:01.000 So here are three not worthy of me statements that seem to me to kind of increase in severity as they go along. 89 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:10.000 Jesus takes precedence in our lives above our parents and above our children. Jesus comes first. 90 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:15.000 And Jesus uses the image of the cross to emphasize this. 91 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:22.000 And as Christians today, we are very familiar with the symbol of the cross. 92 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:30.000 It reminds us of, you know, Jesus bearing our sins. It reminds us of Jesus conquering death. 93 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:40.000 And it's actually quite a positive Symbol, like, we wear it, you know, on, you know, on our necklaces. And we use it as an encouraging thing. 94 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:49.000 But to the men of Galilee, the symbol of the cross would have made them, like, shudder in disgust or horror. 95 00:14:49.000 --> 00:15:17.000 In 7 AD, when Jesus would have been a young boy, the Romans kind of crushed an uprising in Galilee. And they did this by crucifying 2000 Jews. And they lined them up outside, you know, the cities, on the roads, so that whoever would walk by would see these 2,000 people all crucified one after each other. 96 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:23.000 And so, you know, the disciples would have been too young to see this. They would have been babies. 97 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:33.000 But I say this to make the point that the Romans used crucifixion publicly, and they used it frequently. 98 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:37.000 And it was horrific, really horrific. 99 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:55.000 So when the disciples hear Jesus saying, using the symbol of the cross, pick up your cross, they would have thought of it in one way, in one way only, that to pick up your cross meant shameful and brutal death. 100 00:15:55.000 --> 00:16:08.000 Because it wasn't just a, you know, horrible way to die. It was also a thing that brought stigma and shame to that person and also their entire family. 101 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:31.000 So when Jesus says, whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me, then the disciples would have understood Jesus to be saying, if you're not ready to die a horrific death, to be humiliated and shamed and despised for me, then you're not truly my disciple. 102 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.000 And on one level, that is what Jesus is saying. 103 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:47.000 The cost of being a disciple may be physical death. And we know that the disciples, all of them, pretty much died horrible deaths because of Jesus. 104 00:16:47.000 --> 00:17:10.000 But on another level, because we live after Jesus's crucifixion, after his death and resurrection, and after the giving of the Holy Spirit, we understand theologically that there is more going on in this statement because verses 38 and 39 are union with Christ language. 105 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:26.000 So when Jesus asks us to take up our cross and follow him, he is saying, live out the cross and resurrection. You share with me. Let your old life go, so that my life in you can be found. 106 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:33.000 So it's an invitation to share in his death and gain the freedom from that. 107 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:41.000 But it's also an invitation to share in his life, literally by being in union with him. 108 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:55.000 But in doing so, that means that we need to put to death our own life, our own old selves, our previous identities, our will, our plans and our priorities. 109 00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:03.000 We put them to death, which is painful, very painful, and it can be humiliating as well, just like the cross. 110 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:09.000 But we choose Jesus way And we choose to live a spirit led life. 111 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:17.000 And we choose obedience to Jesus no matter the consequences to our old self. 112 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:27.000 Because there are parts of us, each of us, including myself, that need to die. And that's the refining process of union with Christ. 113 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:30.000 We call it sanctification, the process. 114 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:34.000 This process is done with Jesus. 115 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:40.000 Jesus says, take up your cross and follow me like he's right there with us. 116 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:49.000 And it is him that reveals to us those areas in our life that we need to die, die to self. 117 00:18:49.000 --> 00:19:00.000 And we don't do this with sheer determination. It is Christ in us that gives us the way forward and the strength to do these things. 118 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:16.000 Because that is the nature of being a true disciple of Jesus. Radical union with Christ, and that is at the cost of our own lives, at the cost of our own choices, and at the cost of our preferences. 119 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:21.000 Moving on to the final section, which is called the cup of cold water. 120 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:27.000 Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 121 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:32.000 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. 122 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:39.000 And whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 123 00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:52.000 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who was my disciple, truly, I tell you that that person will certainly not lose their reward. 124 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:58.000 So a cup of cold water is the image that Jesus uses in this section. 125 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:06.000 In Jewish and Middle Eastern culture, hospitality is very widely valued. 126 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:17.000 It's a valued virtue. And to give someone a cup of cold water is the most basic, most basic practice of hospitality. 127 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:26.000 And Jesus says that even this most basic act will be rewarded beyond what it deserves. 128 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:35.000 So in verse 40, we see the union with Christ theme again. 129 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:44.000 Jesus so identifies with his disciples that whoever receives them, receives him. 130 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:49.000 So that means that Jesus is not merely represented by his disciples. 131 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:58.000 He is present with them and in them. And how people treat his disciples is how they treat him. 132 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:14.000 So another way to view this is that there is a union with Christ chain. You know, there is a way that our union with Christ actually connects other people to the Father. 133 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:21.000 The Father and the Son are in union, and the Son and his disciples are in union. 134 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:38.000 Those who receive the disciples and accept the disciples for who they are are also drawn into relationship with the Son, not quite union with him, but into a relationship with him. 135 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:51.000 So when we witness to people, we don't just bring a message to them, we actually bring God's presence and the opportunity for them to interact with God. 136 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:53.000 It's very Interesting. 137 00:21:53.000 --> 00:22:04.000 And I wonder if it changes the way that we view ourselves because we are actual vessels for the presence of God. 138 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:26.000 And I find the image of the small cup very encouraging because as I look at the lives of the disciples, as I look at the, you know, their lives and their deaths, you know, people that have been martyred for the faith, I often feel like my own life is, is very insignificant. 139 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:47.000 But this small cup of water reminds me that Jesus sees each small act of obedience done in love for Jesus. They are precious to him and he sees them and in my opinion, doing something big, big for Christ. 140 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:56.000 That begins by being radically obedient in the small, boring everyday things. 141 00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:05.000 So as we carry out our week, in what ways can we be serving Jesus? By serving others. 142 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:10.000 What little cup of water can we be giving out to someone this week? 143 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:16.000 So just in recap, these are the three symbols God uses. 144 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:18.000 Jesus uses rather. 145 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:24.000 The sword warns that following Jesus will cost you. 146 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:29.000 The cross tells us follow anyway, even through death to self. 147 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:33.000 And the cup of water comforts us. 148 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:38.000 God sees every small act of faithfulness and rewards it. 149 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:44.000 So let's pray. 150 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:56.000 Lord Jesus, we are your people here, Lord. We are your church and we are your followers, Lord. We are your hands and your feet to the world. 151 00:23:56.000 --> 00:24:05.000 So Lord, I pray that you will help us live in union with you, Lord, that you will help us seek your will in every corner of our life. 152 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:15.000 And Lord, that you will be guiding us in which areas of our life need to die to self love, Lord, so that we can live more fully in your life. 153 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:29.000 So Lord, I pray that as we go out this week, you will help us be encouraging and spurring each other on to do your good works, Lord, and to live a life that is questionable. 154 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:32.000 That makes people question, Lord, and makes people react. 155 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:36.000 In Jesus name, amen.