THE WORD 4 ev 1

Read Matthew 10 (click here for link)

“I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.” Jesus seems to have some harsh things to say in chapter ten. He does not come to bring peace but the sword. I suppose, on the one hand, this passage is a little frightening. We ask: Does following Jesus mean that I must give up my family? Well, hopefully not, but it could come to that. If they turn you away because of your faith, then you must go. You must choose Jesus even over your family.

However, it is not so often like this for us today. Our choices are much more subtle. Our battles are cloaked in the mundane, the day-to-day. We all have those members of our family that are outside the faith. We want nothing more than to reveal to them the light of Christ, but we don’t want to drive them away. Yet, no matter how much we love them, there are always those little reminders of just how divided they are from you—each time you fold your hands to say a prayer before a meal; every Sunday morning when you get ready for church; small talk at a family reunion. But don’t just give them up. Remember, that the sword of Jesus Christ is his gospel. You have that sword in your hand. It is sharp enough to cut away even unbelief. Use the sword even on those you love. Never allow the line of separation to be blurred. Oh... and pray about it whenever you can.

In addition, this chapter, as negative as it might seem, is a good reminder to give thanks to God for a godly family. It is also a good time to re-evaluate your role as a godly parent. Am I bringing up my children to be in the faith or am I allowing them to grow to be my enemies?

Wield Jesus’ sword liberally in all that you do.
Pastor Aaron