A CHRISTIAN LOOKS AT MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
Yes, but…..
Reading: Matthew 10:24-25
We are to act prudently but some suffering is inevitable for the people of God. What we have here is (i) a clear warning. The phrase “members of his household” (v25) is very interesting, it means “the members of the household of a government official” the word we would normally use is “staff.” So Jesus is saying, if I the leader am called to suffer then the members of my staff can’t escape it. We also have a clear reminder that to suffer is (ii) a privilege. To suffer is to follow the way of Christ and it is a privilege. Paul actually prayed, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection the fellowship of sharing in his suffering. . . “ (Philippians 3:10). There is also a hint of (iii) just how disreputable we will appear to some. Some have actually suggested that Jesus is “Beelzebub” (v25). You might remember that William Golding translated this as “Lord of the flies.” A better translation would be “Lord of where the flies live.” So some might think therefore that we come from the local rubbish tip! If they called Jesus names, we can hardly expect to be treated differently.
Meditation: Am I ready for this?
Prayer pointer: Help me to share in the suffering of Christ.
Matthew: 66
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