Scripture: Matthew 10:24-39
Introduction
- Sheep Among Wolves: The life of a disciple that Jesus spoke of is not about worldly comfort, but a path of suffering, walking straight into a pack of wolves.
- No Cheap Blessings: The ‘Theology of Prosperity’ that avoids the cross, conflicts, and swords faced when following the Gospel is not the truth of the Bible.
- A Love That Counts Every Hair: When you feel isolated and powerless outside the worldly mainstream, remember: God counts even the hairs of your head and cares for you perfectly.
Body
1. Jesus Called Beelzebul, and the Life of a Disciple
Today, many people expect that going to church will make everything go smoothly and bring worldly blessings. However, the words of Jesus are entirely far removed from our romantic expectations.
Sending His disciples into the world, Jesus worriedly said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” When Jesus drove out demons, the religious leaders of the day sneered, claiming He did it by the power of ‘Beelzebul,’ the prince of demons.
“If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!” (Matthew 10:25)
Jesus already knew that the path His disciples would walk was not a glorious bed of roses, but a path of harsh suffering.
2. The ‘Odd Sort of Lie’ Called Prosperity Theology
Some modern churches teach that if you believe in Jesus, there is no suffering, only blessings. However, theologian Denis Thorpe strongly criticised this theology of prosperity, saying, “That is an odd sort of lie.”
For 1st-century disciples, faith was suffering itself. They had to flee to other cities and countries to escape persecution, and face the threat of death before rulers. The depth of the Gospel is revealed like pure gold when it passes through suffering. Jesus spoke with uncompromising decisiveness: He came not to bring peace, but a ‘sword.’ This sword does not mean violence, but the spiritual conflict and division that inevitably occur between those who follow the truth and those who reject it.
3. Do Not Judge the 1st Century Through 21st-Century Eyes
We often try to read the Bible only through the lens of modern common sense. However, life 2000 years ago was incomparably harsher than it is now.
Take travel in those days as an example. Most people walked their entire lives. The inn with a stable where Joseph and Mary gave birth to Jesus was, in fact, a fairly decent accommodation at the time because it could accommodate a chariot.
Chariots back then did not have springs to absorb shocks, nor bearings or modern lubricants to make the wheels turn smoothly. The impact of travelling on bumpy stone roads was transmitted directly to the entire body, and historical documents of the time record that people felt like they were ‘going crazy’ because of the sharp noise of the turning wheels.
An age where mere movement was torture—let alone the life of Jesus’ disciples, who were abandoned by mainstream society and hated by the Pharisees—survival itself was a massive cross.
4. God’s Eternal Vision Beyond Time and Space
Why, then, did Jesus push His disciples into such harsh environments? It was because Jesus’ gaze did not linger on the short years of this earth, but was directed toward the eternal kingdom.
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul…” (Matthew 10:28)
Jesus uses the analogy of a ‘sparrow,’ which was traded as the cheapest bird in the world. At that time, two sparrows were sold for a copper coin (one assarion), which was only 1/16th of a labourer’s daily wage. Like the most worthless and powerless sparrows, the disciples, who seemed helpless in the world, were in the same position.
Yet, God, who rules the universe, time, space, and the spiritual realm, does not let even one sparrow fall to the ground apart from His will. The fact that He has numbered even the hairs of our heads, His children, is evidence of a supernatural care that transcends human reason.
Core Illustration and Decision
In our house, there is a small garden about the size of a king-size bed. My wife goes out to the garden every day to water it, pull weeds, and prune branches, seeing through every change in the garden. One day, I saw something that looked like a weed in the garden and just pulled it out. The next day, my wife noticed it and got angry, asking why I pulled it out. As it turned out, it was not a weed, but a plant she was carefully growing for food.
If humans know the change of a single blade of grass in a garden they care about, what about God, who created and tends this world like the Garden of Eden? This world is God’s massive garden. Nothing is outside His sovereignty and will.
Jesus tells us, “Take up your cross and follow me.” This is not a passive life of being dragged along reluctantly. It is a decision to actively and aggressively undertake the Lord’s ministry even if losses and misunderstandings arise, because we trust in God’s perfect sovereignty.
Do not place family or any worldly value in a higher position than God. The delicate care of God, who numbers even our hairs, holds us. Let us not be silent out of fear, but be true disciples who boldly confess and preach Christ in our places of life.