SHARING BREAD
34 “Do not suppose that I have
come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--
36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own
household.’”
‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--
36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own
household.’”
Matt
10:34-36 (NIV)
In our verses for today our Lord warns His followers not to
expect peace on this planet rather division.
The harsh effect of preaching the Word and standing for the gospel of
Truth is not the fault of the message or even the message bearer rather the
hearers of it. The faith of the believer
condemns those who do not believe therefore the non-believers have enmity
against those who do believe. Light always
exposes darkness.
“If you follow Christ, you shall have all the dogs of the
world yelping at your heels. If you
would live so as to stand the test of the last tribunal, depend upon it, the
world will not speak well of you. He who
has the friendship of the world is an enemy to God; but if you are true and
faithful to the Most High, men will resent your unflinching fidelity, since it
is a testimony against their iniquities.
Fearless of all consequences, you must do the right…...Better a brief
warfare and eternal rest, than false peace and everlasting torment.” Charles
H. Spurgeon
4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship
with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the
world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or
do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in
us envies intensely? James 4:4-5 (NIV)
Surely there remain few things harsher than for those who
should be the closest to us to turn against us.
When we are with those we love we should not have to fear being
misunderstood or our words being misconstrued.
These are those who should know and love us best consequently it is
extremely hurtful to be shunned by them.
When a believer discovers themselves sadly disowned by family for the
sake of Christ, they should take solace in remembering that our Lord is the
faithful friend who ever remains closer than a brother:
24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there
is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Prov 18:24 (NIV)
King David’s encouraging words regarding the Lord’s
faithfulness found in Psalm 27 come to mind:
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I
fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my
life--of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When
evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes
attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. Psalms 27:1-3
(NIV)
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will
receive me. Psalms 27:10 (NIV)
Christ deals fairly with His followers here in telling us
the worst we can meet with in His service in an effort to get is to consider
the cost in our following Him. He does
not desire for us to enter into His service flippantly rather He prepares us for
what we will inevitably face. He never
painted a picture for us that we would be carried to heaven in a bed of down as
some presume. Trials, sufferings,
abandonment, rejection, painful misunderstandings and the like are all crosses
that Christians are often called to bear – just as our Savior did. Our Lord was despised and rejected by men, a
man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.
Remembrance of the suffering Redeemer compels us to continue to labor in
His cause – there are people yet to be saved – wandering sons and daughters who
need brought home. This “little”
rejection now will pale in the light of the Father’s smile.
“Dream not that worldlings will admire you, or that the more
holy and the more Christ-like you are, the more peaceably people will act
towards you. They prized not the polished
gem, how should they value the jewel in the rough? ‘If they have called the Master of the house
Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of His household?’…….Far be it
from us to seek a crown of honour where our Lord found a coronet of thorns……Never
for fear of feeble man, restrain your witness.” Charles H. Spurgeon
What I glean from this:
· Jesus
warns me not to expect peace on this planet.
· Light
exposes darkness.
· Jesus
never forsakes me.
