Matthew 10:21 - 31
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[b] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Questions:
ReplyDelete- Jesus says that we should flee when we are persecuted. Are we to avoid standing up to persecution?
- Should we fear God because He can destroy our soul and body in hell?
- Is everything that happens to us "under His care"?
Interesting perspective on what Jesus meant by "you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." I can't say that I agree with it. It basically says that Jesus "coming" was the Roman invasion in AD33.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.christiancourier.com/articles/668-what-is-the-meaning-of-matthew-10-23
Correction: AD 70
Deletehttp://www.ptm.org/uni/QandA/0025/citiesIsrael.htm says:
ReplyDeleteIn that context, Jesus is telling his disciples in verse 23 that they will be persecuted. In fact, this portion of Matthew 10 – verses 17-23 – is all about future persecution that Jesus’ disciples could expect and did encounter. The Bible’s own history of the early church, recorded in Acts, verifies that persecution. They would not be finished going over the cities of Israel before the Son of man comes -- what does that mean?
The book of Acts and other New Testament books shows that the early church "finished" with the cities of Israel quickly – after Jerusalem, Joppa, and a few other places, the main focus of evangelism we know of was outside of Palestine.
Applicatin to us: Christ followers are encouraged never to give up, not to become discouraged, but when persecution is encountered, if necessary, to move on. This principle was reiterated in Acts 1:8 and followed and demonstrated throughout the book of Acts.
What does the phrase "Son of Man comes" imply? In one sense, the son of Man came to the earth as Jesus – he had already come, the first time, when Jesus uttered these words. Was Jesus referring to this Second Coming here? Or, does this verse have something to do with the "end times" – eschatology that Jesus gave in this same book -- in Matthew 24 -- that we might explain as being fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 69-70 A.D.? Did the Son of Man come – in the sense that his prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem was fulfilled? Or, perhaps the "Son of Man’s coming" could be seen as the coming of Jesus to live in the lives of those who accept him, in the new life that he imparts to those who believe – and that coming has been happening since the beginning of the church in Acts 2?
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/in-the-line-of-fire/read/articles/should-persecuted-christians-defend-themselves-15791.html says: (warning: in my opinion, there's some anti-muslim bias in this article)
ReplyDeleteAt this very moment, Christians around the world are being severely persecuted for their faith. They are being forced into exile, abducted, raped, tortured and slaughtered.
Is it right for them to fight back? Is it right for them to take up arms to ward off or kill their attackers?
There are strong arguments against Christians taking up the sword to defend themselves for the cause of the gospel. Here are just a few:
1) The example of Jesus is against it. . . .
2) The example of the apostles and Christian history is against it.
3) Jesus explicitly taught against fighting back. In the Garden of Gethsemane,
4) The entire testimony of the New Testament is against us violently fighting against our persecutors.
5) Jesus told His disciples that if they were persecuted in one city, they should flee to another (Matthew 10:22-25). He could have given military alternatives as well, but He did not.
6) If you do fight back, where do you draw the line? We still have not lived down the bad reputation of the Crusades (even if some of the infamy is exaggerated), and once you get into the military mindset, it’s very hard to know where to draw the line. Perhaps pre-emptive strikes are needed? Perhaps an offensive campaign is called for to offset the next campaign against us? Perhaps our violence will end up being no better than the violence that was used against us?
Yet there are strong arguments that have been raised for Christians taking up the sword to defend themselves.
1) Simple humanitarian sense calls for it. . . . daughters . . . how could you not fight for their lives if you had the power to do so?
2) There are times when we can’t flee. It is true that Jesus gave us instructions to flee from persecution, but sometimes that is not an option. What do we do then?
3) In the New Testament, this was a purely spiritual issue, whereas today, this is also a geo-political issue. . . . Christians should take up arms to defend themselves just as anyone else in their shoes would fight against an invading army.
4) It is the proper role of government to use the sword to fight against evil and uphold good (see Romans 13:1-4). Some groups are in complete violation of their country’s laws, so for Christians to fight against them is no different than a Christian homeowner using physical force to stop a dangerous intruder.
5) The Scriptures call us to rescue those who are perishing (Proverbs 24:11-12). American soldiers . . . without those efforts, many more innocent lives would have been taken. . . . stopped in their tracks as they behead Christian children and slaughter others in the most gruesome ways? . . ., so why isn’t it OK for local Christians to fight them?
6) Immediately before His betrayal, Jesus told His disciples that in the days to come, they would need swords for self-defense because of the dangers they would face. This is how many interpreters understand His words in Luke 22:35-38, and if it applied to the disciples then, all the more does it apply to persecuted Christians today.
http://www.john316marshall.com/matthew-1023a/ says:
ReplyDeleteA comforting word–loyal courage can be compatible with our natural instinct of self-preservation. Courting trouble is not a virtue, a martyr complex is not heroic, recklessness not courage, foolishness not noble, bravado not prudence. Desire for personal glory can exaggerate the amount of sacrifice we need to make.
This counsel is pertinent in our current wave of terrorist attacks. We are at war with adherents of a world religion that encourages a craving for martyrdom.
Christianity, like other religions, yields at times to this unhealthy attitude. Recently I have heard two sermons in which I felt the preachers were taunting their listeners, goading them to rush toward martyrdom, to seek it and embrace it.
It should be anathema to point to the willingness of adherents of other religions to rush toward suicide and martyrdom, and thereby imply we Christians are not as committed as they are if we do not follow suit. Don’t rouse people to hysteria. They need to be deliberate in their actions, especially in matters this grave.
For Christians, martyrdom is not the highest good, the ultimate accomplishment. Our supreme objective is to expand the kingdom of Christ, to spread the good news of salvation to as many people as possible as fast as we can. Abuse, suffering, persecution, and martyrdom are merely means, never an end.
Stay mindful of the mission we are about. Laborers are few at best and there is much work to do. Life is no throwaway item. Every life, including yours and mine, is precious. Preserve it in any way we can without denying Christ.
Having addressed the radical excess we are to avoid, we now consider what God may be saying to us when we find ourselves being persecuted. First, it may be time to move on. God uses persecution to move His followers to other places and people that need to hear of Jesus. “Christ’s Name will be spread when His lovers are hounded from one city to another” (Maclaren). Jesus commanded His followers to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth (AC 1:8), but they long lingered in Jerusalem, huddled like a holy club, until they were forced to spread to Judea and Samaria after the stoning of Stephen. I recently heard a preacher say Christians are like manure, when spread out they make good fertilizer, but left in a clump they stink. The early Christians became stuck on dead center. Persecution spurred them to become missionaries.
If you suffer abuse at work or school for your faith, it may be time to move on, but first, you need to ask important questions of yourself. Have you accomplished your mission where you are? God is sovereign. He placed you in your current position on assignment, as a missionary, to make sure someone around you heard the good news of Jesus. Have you fulfilled your purpose, invited co-workers or fellow students to church, told them you are praying for them, or are you in danger of leaving people high and dry, without an understanding of how to know Christ? If you can flee persecution, knowing you have done your duty where you are now, then seek a way to do so. Do not stay until your spirit is crushed.
http://www.john316marshall.com/matthew-1023a/ continued:
ReplyDeleteJoseph and Mary fled to Egypt to save baby Jesus. Our Master avoided His enemies until He knew His final hour had come. When Jerusalem was about to be destroyed, Christians heeded the Master’s warnings and were spared by fleeing to Pella. John Calvin fled France twice. Tyndale fled from one hiding place to another till his great work of translating the Bible into English was done, and then he faced a martyr’s death. The Pilgrims fled, and we are beneficiaries of their flight.
Allow me to speak a word here about children. James Dobson shares a vital and important truth. He says if a child begins to be persecuted, for whatever reason, at school by other children, the family needs to move. No teacher, principal, or superintendent can keep children from persecuting a child once targeted.
Second, if God is telling us to move on, He’s also telling us to find another place to be on mission. Flee danger, not duty. Never seek a place of rest from labor. Instead of wanting a place of no work, we try to find somewhere we can carry on our efforts. Retreat is okay if we’re seeking another place to carry on the fight.
Believers often say they want to work in a Christian environment. Beware two fallacies here. First, Christians bring old sin natures to work with them every day. Selfishness, distrust, and intrigue exist even among Christian workers. Second, Christians don’t need to be isolated from prechristians. We can’t win the lost if we’re not among them. We need believers planted in the midst of unbelievers.
We flee persecution, not as cowards, but as couriers on a mission. Though believers stayed in Jerusalem till uprooted by persecution, once they left, they didn’t seek places of ease. “They that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word” (AC 8:4). It’s okay to change our location, but never our testimony.
Third, God may be telling us we need to stay where we are and suffer on His behalf. Persecution at work, school, and home can be intense. Often every thing in us wants to run and hide, but we may do so only if we can in an honorable way.
Sometimes for the sake of others or the cause we have to stand and take the blows. We are to suffer if the path of duty yields no other option. Most of us are called to keep fleeing and live. But some are called to stay, suffer, and yea, die.
. . . running, Paul fled and fled and fled, but finally, at Rome, the time came to stand and die, when to flee would have brought dishonor to Jesus. May God make us wise, may we love, listen, and follow, wherever He leads.
http://escapetoreality.org/2013/07/09/matthew-10v28-fear-god/ says about fearing the one who has the power to destroy bodies and souls in hell:
ReplyDeleteHere’s the context: The disciples are about to go and proclaim the gospel and will likely face persecution from the religious leaders and law-lovers. Got it? Good. Now here, in point form, is everything Jesus says to encourage them.
Go out and reveal the kingdom by healing the sick and driving out demons (Matt 10:7-8).
But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (Lu 12:1). Those guys have the key to knowledge but have not used it help themselves or others enter the kingdom. Woe to them!
Since you’re going to be sheep among wolves, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves (Mat 10:16).
Understand that you will face opposition. You may even be persecuted and tortured (Matt 10:17).
If these men have persecuted the head of the house (i.e., me) how much more will they persecute the members of his house (Matt 10:25).
But don’t be afraid of these men because a day of reckoning is coming when their hypocrisy will be exposed for the sham it is (Matt 10:26).
Ha – you want to know who to be afraid of? It’s not these clowns who can only hurt your bodies. There is One far scarier than these guys – One who is able to destroy both body and soul (Mat 10:28).
That scary One is your Father who loves you and cares for you (Mat 10:29).
As you encounter the opposition of wicked men, remember that Almighty God is for you and will vindicate you. So don’t be afraid (Mat 10:30).
Indeed, don’t even worry about what you will eat and wear, etc. (Lu 12:22). As you seek the kingdom your loving Father will take care of all your needs (Lu 21:31).
You who have acknowledged me before men, I will acknowledge before my Father. But those clowns who think they’re hot stuff – those law-lovers who have taken away the key to knowledge, have denied me and chosen to remain outside the kingdom – I will deny them before my Father (Mat 10:32-33).
So I say again, do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom (Luk 12:32).
Do you see how it’s important to read things in context? Jesus isn’t threatening his disciples (or anyone) with Hell. He is encouraging them. Again and again he says “Do not be afraid.” At first blush this seems unrealistic. How can we not fear given all the trouble and opposition we face when preaching the gospel? “The solution,” says Jesus, “is to look at your Father. He’s awesome! He’ll vindicate you and take care of you.”
This reminds me of something Darrin Hufford said in his book The Misunderstood God:
The wrath of God should never scare you. All human beings have something in them that needs to know that their dad can beat up all other dads. It’s a security issue.
http://www.padfield.com/2001/sparrow.html says about God's care for us:
ReplyDeleteAlthough He watches over every one of us, this does not mean that our lives will be free from care.
In the midst of his trials he did not lose his trust in God (Job 1:21). In one of the most beautiful passages in the book of Job, we hear Job say of God, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).
My brethren, there are no special cases! When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!
There is no place for worry in the life of a sparrow, and no attempt stockpile supplies for the future -- yet their lives go on. The point Jesus is making is not that the birds do not work; it has been said that no one works harder than a sparrow to make a living; the point He is making is that they do not worry. Sparrows do not strain to see into a future, which they cannot see, and do not seek to find security in the things they have accumulated for the future.
God's care for us is immeasurable -- He allowed His only begotten Son to die in our stead (John 3:16). When we consider the "riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering" this ought to soften our heart, "knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance" (Rom. 2:3-4).
God's care for us will sustain us throughout life, for "we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
God's care for us extends beyond the grave and into that home of the soul, for those who "do His commandments" have the right to the tree of life, and "may enter in through the gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14).
http://www.teachmethebible.info/questions/god/god_in_control.html says this about God being in control:
ReplyDeleteGOD'S CONTROL EXTENDS TO THE WHOLE UNIVERSE.
He sustains the whole universe by His powerful word (Nehemiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:3).
The government of the entire universe is His (Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalms 135:6; Daniel 4:35).
GOD'S CONTROL OF NATURE FOLLOWS.
All natural forces are in His control (Psalms 29:3-10).
The elements are at His command (Psalms 68:9; Jonah 1:4).
All the processes of nature are at His direction (Genesis 8:22; Psalms 107:33-34, Psalms 107:38; Jeremiah 31:35).
GOD'S CONTROL OF HIS CREATURES FOLLOWS.
His care, for example, extends to the smallest of His creatures: He gives the beasts their food (Psalms 147:9).
Not a single sparrow falls to the ground apart from His will (Matthew 10:29).
He can appoint all His creatures to perform His will (Jonah 1:17; 2:10): even for ravens to convey bread and meat to His servants (1 Kings 17:6).
GOD'S CONTROL OF HUMAN BEINGS - AND OF EVIL INDIVIDUALS - FOLLOWS.
There are occasions when God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has put up with evil individuals due for destruction. His purpose has been to make known the riches of His glory to those whom He has purposed to save (Romans 9:22-23).
Sometimes God sees to it that the worst of people are allowed to be exalted so that they may fulfil His purposes without their knowing it (Isaiah 10:5, Isaiah 10:7).
He uses even the enemies of His people to discipline them in their disobedience (Judges 2:14-15, Judges 2:21-23; Judges 2:3:12).
On the other hand, He can harden the hearts of His people's enemies so that they fall into His people's hands or even destroy themselves (Joshua 11:20; Judges 7:22).
GOD'S CONTROL OF NATIONS FOLLOWS.
God fixed the boundaries for the peoples of the world (Deuteronomy 32:8).
He can make a nation large or small (Obadiah 2).
In the affairs of the world, and its rulers, the Lord puts down one leader and lifts up another (1 Samuel 16:1; Psalms 75:7).
He uses heathen nations to accomplish the disciplining of His disobedient people (Isaiah 5:26; Amos 3:9-11; 6:14; Habakkuk 1:12).
So far as it has suited His purposes, He has allowed nations to go their own way (Acts 14:16).
Behind the strange, and sometimes unexpectedly generous actions of unbelieving rulers towards God's people at various times is the working of God in their hearts without their knowledge (Ezra 1:1). Examples are Tiglath-pileser (Isaiah 10:6-7), Cyrus (Isaiah 41:2-4), and Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:21)- they pursued their own chosen path, and served the furtherance of God's will, though in their personal lives they were disobedient, self-willed and sinful.
GOD'S CONTROL OF HISTORY FOLLOWS.
His dominion is everlasting and His kingdom endures from generation to generation (Daniel 4:34): thus all the events of human history are under His direct control (Revelation 9:15).
He fixes the epochs of human history and the limits of human territory (Acts 17:26).
GOD'S CONTROL OF ALL CIRCUMSTANCES FOLLOWS.
God, not chance, decides what happens in human affairs (Proverbs 16:33; compared with Jonah 1:7).
Behind every circumstance is the Lord (Amos 3:6).
Ordinary daily needs are within His concern and control (Matthew 6:30, Matthew 6:33).
The will of God may be worked out in what appears to be a complete accident (1 Kings 22:28, 1 Kings 22:34).
GOD'S CONTROL OF SATAN IS CLEARLY INVOLVED, AND IS TAUGHT.
The Lord can put a restraint upon Satan as He chooses (Job 1:12).
He gives Satan, at times, power to do his wicked worst, but God is always in control (Revelation 9:1; Revelation 20:7).
My 2 cents:
ReplyDeleteDoes God care about us? Absolutely. Does God care FOR us? That's the question. To what extent does God control circumstances in our lives has been debated forever.
There's a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum is the belief that God planned and wound up the universe at the beginning, did a really good job of it, and is just letting His plan wind out. At the other end of the spectrum is the belief that God literally controls every aspect of our lives - down to the tiniest minutiae.
So, let's take a couple of cases:
1. We are brushing our teeth and we drop our toothbrush on the floor. Was that God's will or wasn't it? People on the far right of the spectrum would say of course it was.
2. We are driving down the street and another driver barely misses us going through a red light. One second earlier and we would have been in a serious accident. Did God control that event? Was it totatlly random and God didn't exert any influence at all? What's the possibility that God influenced events so that the timing was such as it is - that we missed the other car? Does God let "random" events just happen and teach us through whatever circumstances that just happen to us?
3. You are putting on a church event for newcomers. Things aren't going very well. You can't find enough volunteers, you don't know where food, tables, silverware and a hundred other things are going to come from. You pray and do the best you can. The day of the event comes and somehow ends up being a huge success. The newcomers are blown away. Several of them become exited and passionate members of the church. Did God exert His influence in this? Was it all your effort, perhaps mixed with a little bit of good fortune that brought off a good event? How did God intervene in this? Does He ever?
So, in all three cases, depending on where you lie on the spectrum, you would say that God did or did not intervene in all three cases. My opinion? I don't know. I don't know if I will ever know (on this earth), and I suspect everyone that claims they know.