Matthew 10 34-42 2008
6th Sun after Pentecost A
Matthew 10:40-42
"The Rough Road"
38* and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39* He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
40* "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.
41* He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42* And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."RSV
Introduction: I am combining two verses from last week’s text with the verses from this week’s text for my sermon this week!
In this section, Jesus is speaking about the "rough road" of a Christian’s live. The road which is filled with the reality of living in a sinful and less than perfect world. Jesus is speaking about what has come to be called, " a theology of the cross"!! This theology says that through the brokenness of this world, through "crosses" lives will be redeemed and renewed. Jesus is reminding the disciples and us that live is not easy. Living on this earth is very difficult. You and I will have "crosses" to bear. Christian life will not be easy. Living as a Christian, as a believer, in this world with the power of Satan surrounding us, with the burden of our sinful nature that weighs us down, leading us to sin, with the path of the easy way, Christian life, our life with Christ brings difficulty. It is a rough and narrow road.
Jesus knew that. He knew life would be difficult for His followers especially after He ascended into heaven. Jesus speaks about this difficult live over and over again in the gospels. He understands it because this is the road that He traveled. It is on this rough road that be bids His followers to come and follow me.
In this text, in Matthew 16:24-28 He says, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Again in Mark 8: 34 Jesus says, "And he called to him the multitude with his disciples and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." And in Luke 9:23-27 and again in Luke 14:25-27, he says the same thing. This theme of a "rough road" is repeated again and again in the gospels.
Not only does this theme of cross bearing appear again and again, but the idea of division, of a sword appears all over the gospels, as in this text for today and in Matt. 10: 21 it says, "Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;" and again in Mark 13:12, it says, "And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;" and we find similar text in Luke as well as John. We hear these words echoed in the Old Testament in the book of Micah, “5 Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom. 6 For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own household. 7 Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.”
Do you see, do you get the point!!! Jesus is saying life will not be easy as you follow me. Don’t look for a life of roses, don’t look for the easy way, but the narrow road. Jesus is saying, “Carry your cross, be ready to speak against even your father, your children, your parents and also be ready for them, your father, your children, your parents to speak up against you because of your faith, your belief in Me.
Not only did Jesus tell His disciples about the kind of life they would live for Him, but on Good Friday, He demonstrated that life by dying on a cross, by experiencing death, by facing pain, by being humiliated as He died a death of a criminal. His was not an easy life. His path followed the rough road, the narrow road, to the cross and to death.
We make a terrible mistake if we think that we will not have to walk the rough road that leads to the crosses in our life. To be sure, our road is a very different from the road our Savior walked. Our crosses are very different from the cross that HE bore for the sins of all people. As different as the road and as different as the crosses, they are still remarkably similar. It is the road that the righteous person must walk.
Jesus was the righteous, obedient, sinless son of God, but at the same time He had to suffer.
Doesn’t that seem odd to you??? We do not equate suffering, brokenness, pain, with obedience, sinless-ness and righteousness? We would like to equate that stuff with sinfulness, or disobedience, or unrighteousness, or unfaithfulness, or hidden sin, or guilt, or a lack of faith, but not with faithfulness and obedience. But, my friends, that is just what happened to Jesus, He was faithful, He was obedient, He was sinless and yet He suffered. He walked that rough road.
So, I have a question. Why is it today, we hear on the TV, from so called Christian Preachers, self proclaimed born again Christians, that if you are truly a believer your life will have health, wealth and prosperity??? A theology of glory!!!
In the book The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson, he seems to say that if you pray that Jabez prayer, then your life will be easy. There is no rough road. There is no cross bearing.
Many today are making it a benchmark of a so called true believer that on the outside at least life has to look perfect. No suffering, no pain, no heartache, no struggles, no temptation, no guilt, no illness, no disability, but a life that is filled with glory. Many are saying to you and me, that if you don’t have a so called perfect life then, then something is wrong with your faith, something is wrong with you personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Don’t buy it and don’t believe it. Look to Jesus, He was perfect, righteous, obedient but yet He suffered. Suffering is the way of Christians. The cross is the way of Christians. You know, in all the Christian promotional materials I have ever seen. These ideas are never promoted. Think of a church add that says, “Come suffer with us!” That doesn’t sound very appealing does it. All though it may be true as many of you have suffered through some of my sermons. But that’s not what I am talking about. Or how about a church add that says, join us, your crucifixion is waiting!” Suyfferin for faith in God is the way of God’s people, the way of the righteous. Remember righteous in the Biblical sense means a believer, one who trusted in God, one who is faithful.
It was the way of Job, where we read,"And the Lord said to Satan, ’Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’ And what happened to Job. He suffered. He lived a rough life. He walked a rough road. He was a target because He had faith in God. After Job lost all of his wealth, his family, everything but his health, Satan and God talked again listen, Job 2:3 ’ And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity although you moved me against him to destroy him without cause." Job walked the rough road, but was faithful to God.
The Aposstle Paul walked the rough road. He is a clear example of one who suffered even though he had a strong faith and was obedient to the will of God. It could take us hours to talk about Paul, but briefly, remember his thorn in the flesh which God did not remove, remember his numerous beatings, his lashings that almost produced death, being ship wrecked and in the water for 14 days and finally dying in prison in Rome. Paul walked the rough road, but at the same time he was faithful and obedient, he kept his trust in the Lord, he was righteous.
Jesus says very clearly, that the road you and me are asked to walk is indeed a rough road. A road which clearly states the reality of life, being a followers of Christ is not easy, it is very difficult and even sometimes more difficult than we would imagine.
As I think back over the congregations I have served I see that reality expressed in your lives, in your eyes, in your faces. I see the sick, the broken, the aging, the disabled,, the hard of hearing, those who are having a difficult time remembering, and at the same time, I see believers in Jesus Christ. I see people who have put their lives, their entire beings into His hands.
As I think back over the congregations I have served, I see widows who have been living with the pain of loneliness, who have been adjusting to life again as a single person. I see the sad look , the look of missing a loved one, I see a look of determination to make the best of a broken situation, and at the same time I see believers in Jesus Christ.
As I think back over the congregations I have served I see young mothers and fathers trying to raise children to the best of their abilities and wondering how they are doing, wondering if they are good enough, or wise enough, and at the same time, I see believers in Jesus Christ.
As I think back over the congregations I have served, I see families struggling to make a living. I see families having to cut back, deciding what is truly important in their lives. I see people who have had the heartbreak of having to sell off land or animals to pay the debts. I see people hoping and praying this year’s crop will help them, will provide the needed income. At the same time, I see believers in Christ, who know because of their brokenness that God will provide in His wondrous way. I see believers in Christ who are trying with all their effort to make a go of it and will keep on trying because of the courage Christ gives them.
As I think back over the congregations I have served, I see people who are and will continue to deal with guilt, with past sins, with wanting to change, but having a difficult time. I see people with regrets, with: I-wish-it-could -have-been-different as words that are flowing in their hearts. I see people who have made mistakes and have become wiser for it today who are saying to themselves, I-wish-I-could-have-known-then-what-I-know now. I also see people who are struggling to change, to make a fresh start, to begin again. I see people living the second chance Christ has given them through His power of forgiveness. I see people wishing they could change their lives, but not knowing how, or not finding the right combination of people and situations to begin again. At the same time I see believers in Christ, who have felt His forgiving power, who have been forgiven their guilt and given a second chance to live in and through Him.
Are we wrong?? Aren’t you believers in Christ?? You do know the rough road which Christ speaks of!!! Are you who are struggling, coping, searching, wondering, praying, trusting, turning over your problems to Christ just as much a believer in Christ?? Are you just as much as a believer as the person who says, because I see sinfulness, because I see brokenness, because I see someone who is less than perfect, I DON’T SEE A BELIEVER!!!
As I think back to all my congregations, I do see believers in Christ, believers who are maturing, growing, struggling, allowing the power of Christ to change and renew you. At the same time, I see people who are living examples of the "theology of the cross" which says life in Christ is cross bearing, life in Christ is a rough road, life in Christ is not easy.
And because we are believers, then Jesus says in the verses beginning with verse 40 that we should show hospitality to others. We bear our crosses, life is not always easy, but in spite of that, we are to show hospitality to others as Jesus shows hospitality to us.
As Jesus says in verse 42 " And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water".
Hospitality is giving respect to others, is allowing ourselves the freedom to give of ourselves even if our life has not been easy. Hospitality is giving even if we have been hurt by another.
A closing story speaks about this freedom of hospitality by an unknown author says:
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. "I’ll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.
AMEN
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale June 24, 2002