Have No Fear

Mt. 10:37-38

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. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds His life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.



 

Jesus is teaching His disciples what it means to follow Him. After revealing that persecution is part of the journey, He explains why. Simply, a servant cannot be above his master. Since Christ was persecuted and suffered horrible injustice, likewise, His disciples should suffer. In fact, I Peter explains that suffering is the disciples' calling. [I Pet. 2:21] Sobering words! Jesus then said, And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Fear of man is futile and senseless!  God is in control of all circumstances. He has ordained what will come to pass, whether blessing or trial. Man's power is so severely limited to one dimension, the flesh, but God's power involves the body and the soul. His power determines not only this life, but also the life to come.

 

Since God's sovereignty extends over all nature with even the smallest creature losing its life only when God says so; in the same way, nothing happens to man without God's express approval. Because of this, a disciple need not fear anything that the world might do to them. God is in control!

So whoever acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before me, I also will deny before My Father who is heaven. Heavy words! When persecution comes, a disciple must stand strong and true never wavering from His relationship with God. There will be no division in what a man says as opposed to what is in his heart. But Jesus says, do not fear. God is in control even in the face of horrendous persecution.

 

Jesus did not come to bring peace but to bring a sword, His word. His sword is able to discern the thoughts and motives of the heart and leave everyone naked before God. Jesus' call and the disciples' following will create a dividing line, even within families. He should be loved more than father, mother, son, or daughter. The disciples' relationship to Jesus supersedes all others. Many times a person's enemies will be those of his own house. So don't be fooled thinking God will make allowances for the disciples who hides their allegiance. 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. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds His life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Heavy! This life is not a cake walk. It requires courage, commitment, and loyalty. Jesus must be first and foremost.

 

Father,

As I read these words, fear does rear its ugly head. I wonder how strong I will be in the hard times. Grow me, Lord, so that I can be all You want me to be. Weed out any worldliness so that my commitment to You will not be flawed.

In His name,

Amen