Matthew 10:34-42

A New Family

            You don’t have to go overseas in order to be a missionary. You don’t have to go overseas in order to experience persecution either.  As Christianity has spread across the globe, the locale of Christendom has shifted from continent to continent so that the “mission field” has moved also. For many decades, the Christian church in America was sending missionaries overseas to spread the gospel. However, the mission field is now much closer to home. In fact, the closest mission field is often within your own household. It’s all too common now for families to be divided by faith, that is some who believe and others who don’t. This situation causes great strife inside families as believers seek to remain faithful, yet don’t want to lose a relationship with a loved one, be they parent, child, sibling, or spouse. And of course, there should be a great sadness when we think about those we love who don’t believe, or don’t make church and faith a priority in life. For if we’re to care for the unbelieving world, how much more so are we to care for unbelieving family? I won’t lie, a relationship that doesn’t hold faith in common is always going to be difficult. There’s no simple answer in how to deal with an unbelieving family member, other than don’t give up. Keep speaking to them, keep witnessing to them, keep being an example of faith to them; for eventually you may be the catalyst that the Holy Spirit uses to work faith in their heart. 

            In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus speaks to the division brought about between faith and unbelief in our families. Since we can be tempted by them, we must remember to always put Jesus first in our life, even above our own flesh and blood. There can be no compromise if we wish to win back our family. For so we learn today:

DON’T LOOK FOR PEACE IN THIS WORLD, BUT AMONG THE FAMILY OF GOD!

I.

            There’s a certain degree to which our lesson today must be learned through experience than through pure reason. It’s one thing to talk about the division we’ll experience, it’s another to learn it firsthand. As our families become increasingly divided in the things of faith, it becomes harder to maintain relationships while not compromising our own beliefs. Consider Jesus’ words, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come 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 person’s enemies will be those of his own household,” Matthew 10:34-36. Doesn’t Jesus value family? Doesn’t God want us to love our parents, siblings, or children always? With what Jesus says here, it makes it sound like the answer is no. “I have come…” It sounds like Jesus’s one mission was to split families apart. So, is Jesus at fault for the divisions we deal with in our families?

            Let’s pretend for a minute that he is. Let’s pretend that Jesus desires our division. What would it look like for us to hate our family in a Christian way (if there is such a thing)? Those who think it means complete disobedience to parents would be wrong. Rather, Jesus says elsewhere that we’re to love even our enemies, not just our friends. He tells us that we’re to feed and clothe even our enemies. For this setting against isn’t a hatred, but an unwillingness to lower ourselves to destructive behaviors. As Jesus said, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me,” Matthew 10:37. Jesus hated us and set himself against us. He hated how sinful we had become, how we abhorred the things of God. He hated that we had lowered ourselves to demonic standards. Jesus couldn’t dwell in peace with us because of our sin. Rather, he had to set himself apart. He had to separate himself from us so that he may remain holy. So no, Jesus didn’t come to bring peace to our sinful nature. He came to bring a sword that he may divide us from our sin!

II.

            For the only way to have peace in our world isn’t to make ourselves like the unbeliever, but to share a common devotion to Christ our Lord. As King Solomon once wrote, “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken,” Ecclesiastes 4:12. Our relationships yield peace only when it has been strengthened by the bond of faith. A threefold cord: me, you, and Christ. For the division we experience isn’t the fault of Christ as we pretended. Rather, the division we experience is a consequence of Jesus making us holy. For holiness is a setting apart or even a setting against. Against sin, against evil, against all ungodliness. This setting apart could be translated in one of two ways though, as an intended purpose, or an unintentional consequence or result. Jesus has come… and the result of his coming is that families are divided. An unbelieving father is against his believing son. A believing mother is against her unbelieving daughter. The result of Jesus’s coming into our world and the making holy of believers is that there will be divisions. Not all will believe, and that should cause us great sadness. So, let us pray, let us witness, let us care for them as Christ has cared for us, never putting them above Christ but insisting on the peace that comes from Christ alone.

            Jesus hasn’t left us without consolation. Rather, he’s redefined for us our family that we may have brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters in abundance. You’ve been brought into the family of faith that you may have peace in this life. For in this family, you’re loved unconditionally, never fearing the changing attitudes of this world. Rather, we trust in the love, grace, and peace of Christ which binds us together. As Jesus says, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me,” Matthew 10:40. The bond of faith is stronger than any difference of opinion or even wrongdoing. For consider that it was Jesus who willingly endured this division for us. Jesus who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us. He took upon himself our sinfulness and destruction that God may divide himself from Jesus on the cross. On the cross, God cast his sword upon all the sins of the world, your sins and my sins, that he may raise us up to holiness and life! 

            May we count Jesus of greater worth than even our own family, never compromising our faith but witnessing to those in our own household of the peace of Christ. For even though we might lose this life, we shall inherit life eternal in Christ! In Jesus’ name!