Scholars believe that this passage...
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Scholars believe that this passage from Matthew is a part of a body of collected sayings of Jesus. These sayings existed in other forms and contexts, and are put together here by Matthew as a sort of rulebook for the Christian who is facing opposition. Matthew was trying to win people to the faith, the radical, life-changing, society-disrupting faith that Jesus had taught to the disciples. So he wrote down some rules and stuck them in the middle of his gospel account of the life of Jesus.
Matthew's church was seeking to win people's hearts to Jesus, but the world around them was quite comfortable with the religion of the status quo and tradition, the state-approved form of faith. Potential converts needed to understand that being a follower of Jesus might make them unpopular and the target of ridicule and scorn. They needed to know that their friends and families would be challenged by their newfound faith.
Jesus tells the church, "Hey, those people didn't like me! They are going to like you even less!" He says, "Don't be afraid of your enemies, rather fear God if you fail to confront those enemies." He explains, "Following me will result in discord in your community and in your family, so you have to love me more than them." And yes, Jesus declares, "You have to carry a cross to follow me."
Not too long ago, a woman came to her pastor for counsel and advice. Her concern was that while she was comfortable in a liberal and progressive theology, she had friends who were strongly evangelical in their beliefs and they were quite anxious about her state of salvation. She said to the pastor: "I am following Jesus, but they don't think I am. I know in my heart that I am right with God, but they disagree. I want to be their friend, but they simply want to convert me to their narrow way of understanding." It was small comfort to her to know that she was doing battle with the forces of status quo, popular and seemingly government-approved faith. But Jesus turned religion upside down in his day and in the days of Matthew that followed. In many ways, Jesus still turns religion upside down. Those who follow will be persecuted and opposed. So Jesus says to us still, "Whoever loses her life for my sake will find it."
Matthew's church was seeking to win people's hearts to Jesus, but the world around them was quite comfortable with the religion of the status quo and tradition, the state-approved form of faith. Potential converts needed to understand that being a follower of Jesus might make them unpopular and the target of ridicule and scorn. They needed to know that their friends and families would be challenged by their newfound faith.
Jesus tells the church, "Hey, those people didn't like me! They are going to like you even less!" He says, "Don't be afraid of your enemies, rather fear God if you fail to confront those enemies." He explains, "Following me will result in discord in your community and in your family, so you have to love me more than them." And yes, Jesus declares, "You have to carry a cross to follow me."
Not too long ago, a woman came to her pastor for counsel and advice. Her concern was that while she was comfortable in a liberal and progressive theology, she had friends who were strongly evangelical in their beliefs and they were quite anxious about her state of salvation. She said to the pastor: "I am following Jesus, but they don't think I am. I know in my heart that I am right with God, but they disagree. I want to be their friend, but they simply want to convert me to their narrow way of understanding." It was small comfort to her to know that she was doing battle with the forces of status quo, popular and seemingly government-approved faith. But Jesus turned religion upside down in his day and in the days of Matthew that followed. In many ways, Jesus still turns religion upside down. Those who follow will be persecuted and opposed. So Jesus says to us still, "Whoever loses her life for my sake will find it."
