This week’s readings are all from Matthew 9-10. Click here to see a full listing of each day’s reading and the full chapters of Matthew 9-10. Full readings of each day’s smaller segments of the readings will be posted on this site during the week..
Today's Reading
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword! 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.
37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of me will find it.
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, he will never lose his reward.”
This passage is full of hard things: Jesus doesn't bring peace to the world but a sword--I imagine the zealots misunderstood this to mean war while we're probably confused because Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Love your children more than Jesus and you're not worthy of Him--a valuable reminder that Jesus should always be our number one but hard to fathom how. Lose your life for Jesus and find it--the kingdom language always seems backwards and upside-down but it's Jesus' way of pointing out how opposite the world's ways are to His. Give a child a cup of water in the name of a disciple and never lose your reward--how simple this seems in comparison to the rest yet how easy to overlook the least of these. (Just me processing "out loud.") 💜