Matthew 10:31-36

 

Mat 10:31 (KJB)

Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

 

The word “therefore” focuses the statement on something which has just been stated and that is, since God the Father is so knowledgeable about His creation, even with sparrows, that He would be more intimate with the crowning jewel of His creation, namely mankind. Jesus tells them that persecution will come but they will not face it alone because God knows every bit of persecution that His redeemed children will face. Just as Jesus took personally Saul’s persecution of the church, He will take personally the persecution of all His children.

 

Mat 10:32 (KJB)

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

 

Confess - Profess, agree, or acknowledge

 

Now the “therefore” in this verse points back to verses 17 and following. In the time of persecution when the disciples will be brought before the religious leaders or the civil leaders and are accused of being disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, if they acknowledge the fact that they are indeed disciples then that gives evidence that they have been truly saved. If they fear for their lives and do not profess a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, then that gives evidence they are not saved. (Rom 10:9 KJV) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. A true confession of being a disciple of Christ is rooted in the fact that one has become truly saved. The verbal expression is a result of the inward transformation of the soul from being spiritually dead to being given life through Christ. We see Stephen, Peter, and Paul as three examples of true Christians who did not deny the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we see someone like Demas and Judas who forsook the Lord Jesus Christ in favor of this world because they were unsaved. So Demas and Judas would not be confessed before God the Father because Jesus never knew them in the spiritual sense. (Mat 7:23 KJV) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Peter, Paul, and Stephen would be confessed because they did not deny Jesus at critical times in their lives.

 

Mat 10:33 (KJB)

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

 

On the other hand, those who deny the Lord Jesus Christ and claim no association with Him here on earth, will not have association with Him in Heaven. They will be declared as unknown to Jesus and will be sent away into everlasting fire. (Mat 25:46 KJV) And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.  Those who will deny the Lord Jesus at critical times will be giving evidence that they were never saved. The two examples I gave in the last verse Demas who forsook Paul at a critical time and Judas who walked with the Lord for three years and remained unsaved will be denied when they stand before the Lord Jesus Christ on Judgment Day. Those in false religions like Islam, Judaism, New Age, Buddhism, and others reject the Lord Jesus Christ as being anything more than just a good teacher and therefore when they stand before Him touting their works, He will tell them I never knew you. To truly know the Lord Jesus Christ as God in the flesh and as the only way to Heaven requires that one be born again, otherwise a person dies in their sins and is denied before the Father.

 

Mat 10:34 (KJB)

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

 

When a person becomes saved, then they receive inner peace through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22 KJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, This passage speaks of peace in a different manner. This passage is not speaking of the inner peace but is speaking of the opposite of peace. Jesus had a ministry of love, mercy, and grace when He walked in this world. That type of ministry did not bring peace to the areas where He ministered. Instead, it brought opposition and hatred of Him. Wherever He went to minister, there were people who welcomed Him but there was also the religious leaders who opposed and hated Him. So even though the Lord Jesus was peace personified, that peace brought a sword of opposition and that opposition brought fighting among the people, disharmony, and fighting. The sword may even be referring to the word of God which cuts a person right to the core and minces no words. (Heb 4:12 KJV) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The word of God is so powerful that it actually is a discerner of the thought and intents of the heart. This is what the evil leaders had feared.

 

Mat 10:35 (KJB)

For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

 

Variance - Divide, cause disunion, or a state of disagreement

 

Jesus did not intentionally come to divide families but because of the nature of the Gospel, families would have much division because of it. We read about Jewish families that hold funeral services for a child who becomes born again. In Islamic countries, those who become born again in a family of Islam, it is an instant death sentence. This is the same in Hinduism where Christians are persecuted and family members betray those who are saved. In many countries, families would be urged to betray those who have become Christians. In many families, one person may become saved and they will suffer the snipes and barbs of other members of the family. In this world, Christians may have inner peace but outer peace will be very hard to find.

 

Mat 10:36 (KJB)

And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

 

Foes - Enemies

 

Here Jesus states it plain that the enemies of the true Christian will be right in their own household. They do not have to look far to find the enemy and that is because the unbeliever is spiritually dead and is tied to this world and system, whereas the born again Christian is spiritually alive unto God and cares not about the things of the world but focuses on the Glory of God and obedience to Christ. Two totally different ideologies which will crash head on many times as long as they are under one roof. I want to expand the meaning of household here beyond the nuclear family. The place where you work is like a household for 8 or 10 hours per day and once you become saved and don’t go out for drinks anymore or tell dirty jokes, you will be looked at very differently and you will experience loneliness or other types of persecution because no longer will the crowd include you in their dealings. You may also be in a dead church and now you are made alive, you will suffer snide comments and opposition. This I know because I faced it. Many years ago I was an elder in a dead church and brought up the fact that the churches need to be more Christ centered. I was verbally called a “holy roller.” Once I preached at an elders conference in my church and one of the comments came back to me, “who is he to tell us how to live?” So it is not only the members of your family which will be your enemies but those in your work place, church, fraternal organization, etc. In other words: (1 Pet 5:8 KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

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