“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 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!
“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. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 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. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 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—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” - Matthew 10:24-42
This is a warning that it is dangerous to want to be like Jesus. To be like Jesus, we should expect that people will have the same respect or lack of respect towards us that they have towards Jesus. To be like Jesus is to take on the same burdens that Jesus is taking on. To be like Jesus is to put God first, even before your own family. So choose carefully.
But interspersed with these warnings are reassurances. That God values us very much, the way he values Jesus. That God supports us by supporting those who support us during tough times,.
So I should welcome people. The person I am welcoming might be Jesus. So I should refresh people. The person I refresh might be Jesus.
So I should focus on knowing what God wants me to be doing, regardless of how other people will think about it. And doing what God wants me to be doing, regardless of what it costs. I shouldn't worry about whether it is "significant" or not. I should only worry that it is what God is asking me.
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