How to Respond to Persecution (Part 2)

Matthew 10:34–42 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 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. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Review

We’ve been walking through Matthew chapter 10 for a few weeks; the entire chapter is about the commissioning of the 12 disciples—where Jesus prepared them to go out on their first missionary journey, and He briefed them on what their ministry would look like over the course of their lifetime.

The majority of Jesus’ discourse was focused on the intense persecution that the disciples would face. Jesus said, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. In other words, when you go about proclaiming the gospel, there will be those who seek to devour you.

Though the ministry of the 12 apostles —in many ways— was unique in redemptive history, there is still much in this chapter that applies to every Real Follower of Jesus.

One of the universal truths that we have looked at, is that God has called every Christian to proclaim the Good News of Jesus and to live godly lives in a world full of wickedness; and when we do those things, we too will experience some level of persecution.

Though most of us in America won’t experience persecution at the level of the apostles, the secular world is becoming more and more antagonistic towards us by the day. They hate that we live by Biblical principles—they want us to be “progressive.”

Last week, President Joe Biden declared March 31st to be Transgender Day of Visibility; while we love transgender people, we know that the Bible does not support such a lifestyle. Isaiah 5:20 warns of impending judgement upon those who call evil good, and good evil. That is exactly what the world is doing. And when live by our own Biblical convictions, we will be HATED by the world.

2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV)

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

So, a couple of messages ago, we looked at the “inevitability of persecution.”

Last week and this week, we are looking at how we should respond to persecution.

Last week we saw that we should respond to persecution fearlessly—we should NOT fear our persecutors.

In the final part of this chapter—we see that we are to respond to persecution with loyalty to Christ. We should be willing to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.

Now, we’ve got to be careful here: Jesus certainly does NOT mean that we should go looking for persecution.

There is a psychological pattern called martyr’s complex. It is marked by a life of sacrifice and service to others at great cost to you. It is like you look for ways to give yourself to other people in extreme ways, with the goal being to let others see how much you sacrifice and how much you give for the sakes of others. It is a means of self-glory and a way to bolster our egos.

We can also view Martyr’s complex through a theological lens. There are those who go looking for persecution, because it makes them look hyper-spiritual; they want others to see how much they suffer for Jesus. That is NOT okay.

Jesus told his disciples to be willing to suffer, but He also encouraged them to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. If one town was antagonistic towards their message, then they were to use wisdom and move to the next town.

The big idea for this message is that—though we aren’t to go looking for persecution—we must be loyal to Jesus at all costs, which includes a willingness to suffer for His sake.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is to be Supreme in our lives; He is Lord and is second to nothing and no-one in the life of a Christian.

In our text, we see two radical ways in which we are to be loyal to Jesus: (1) We are to show loyalty to Jesus over family AND (2) over personal comfort.

I. Loyalty to Jesus means we love Him even more than we love our families.

Matthew 10:34 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

A) Jesus, Prince of Peace

You say, “wait a minute… isn’t Jesus the Prince of Peace?”

The OT spoke of the Messiah bringing peace. Isaiah called Him the “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9:6.

Then, we flip to the NT to passages like Ephesians 6:15, where Paul refers to the Good News of Jesus as a “Gospel of Peace.”

Are these truths contradictory? Not in the least

The Gospel brings peace, because it reconciles sinful man and a Holy God. Everyone who receives Jesus, gets peace with God. The Gospel also shows us how to live peacefully with other humans, as we live out the principles of the Kingdom of God—such as forgiveness, love, and humility.

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

The problem is that the world system is extremely wicked and man’s fallen nature is sinful. Many reject God’s offer of peace through Christ—and many even find the Gospel offensive. Consequently, this brings conflict to the most intimate of human relationships. Even households will be divided over the Gospel.

To be sure, at His second coming, Jesus will usher in a kingdom of perfect peace.

But where we are now—in-between His first and second comings—the Gospel that brings inner peace to Real Followers of Jesus, will also be the cause of them being misunderstood & persecuted— and some who were once love by their families, will become enemies of their families.

Matthew 10:35–36 ESV

For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

Christians should not deliberately seek conflict with their unsaved family members—or anyone else for that matter.

Romans 12:18 ESV

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

But, if and when conflict does arise, true disciples MUST choose Christ over their family.

In premarital counseling, one of the truths that I attempt to drive home to the soon-to-be-married couple, is the Biblical idea of leaving mother and father and cleaving to their spouse. This Biblical idea certainly doesn’t mean that when you get married, your spouse comes before your relationship with your parents.

This is particularly hard for mommas. Often, when their is conflict, a mom expects her son to take her side. Mom’s often find it difficult to cut the metaphorical umbilical cord.

But Biblically, the man’s allegiance to his wife comes before allegiance to his other family members, and a wife’s allegiance to her husband is above any other family relationship.

Jesus must reign Supreme in our lives.

B) Jesus Comes Before Family

Matthew 10:37 (ESV)

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.

The meaning of our passage is simple; Jesus didn’t mince words: it means that He must be supreme in our lives, above mother or father, above a spouse, or any other person, place, or thing.

Sadly—throughout Christian History—many who have professed faith in Christ have had to make the hard decision to be cut off from their families for the sake of Christ.

Morning Star News—told the story of 37 year old Salimati Naibira—a mother of seven children in Eastern Uganda—who was seriously wounded and cut off from her family after her husband and other Muslim relatives attacked her one Easter Sunday because of her faith in Christ.

It happened three days after her conversion from Islam to Christianity. One hour into the worship service, she saw through a small window that her husband and other Muslim relatives were approaching. The mob entered the church building. Many of the worshippers fled to save their lives. Some of the church elders tried to protect her, but they were over powered.

Salimati was forced into a van and her assailants took her to a nearby forest. According to her own testimony, the men started beating her with sticks and her husband cut her with a Somali sword at the thigh and the back. The pain was so great that she lost consciousness.

A passing herdsman found her in a pool of blood and was able to get her medical help.

Because of her unwavering faith in Christ, she is still cut off from her entire family, who range in age from 4 to 17 years old.

While those extreme circumstances might not happen in America, I have heard of many stories where Christians have been shunned by their non-believing family members.

John MacArthur—in his commentary— tells of his encounter with one young girl that he met at a conference. She had been raised in a very pagan family and since she became a Christian her father refused to speak to her. She said “I can understand why he objects to my decision, because he knows nothing of the gospel and believes all religion is superstition. But you would think he would at least be happy that I am not an alcoholic, drug addict, prostitute, or criminal.” She went on to say “I have never had such joy in my life, and I’ve never loved my father so much; yet he has cut me out of his life.” To this young person—like many others—she has experienced the sword of division that often accompanies the Gospel.

Application

What do you do when a spouse threatens to leave you if you don’t renounce your faith?

What do you do if your beloved family threatens to cut you off because of your allegiance to Christ?

You choose Christ.

You do all you can to love and serve your family; you do all you can to live in peace with them—except when keeping the peace means that you deny Christ.

How do we respond to persecution? We respond with loyalty to Jesus—which means, (1) that we love Him more than we love our families.

II. Loyalty to Jesus means we choose Him over personal comfort.

Matthew 10:38–39 ESV

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

The disciples would not have missed Jesus’ point here. Crucifixion was a shocking metaphor to illustrate what it means to follow Christ.

The Romans took advantage of this horrendous form of execution as an attempt to deter citizens against insurrection.

Jesus message was clear: though the the disciples might lose their lives and even face this extreme form of execution and torture—their resolve must stay the same. They must continue in allegiance to Jesus Christ.

It is likely—that for most of us—that our faith will not cause us physical torment and death; our faith may not cause us to be cut off from our families. Our faith may not cost us our jobs or cause us to become impoverished. However, to be a disciple, is to be willing to suffer in any way for the sake of the Gospel.

John Bunyan—the famous puritan preacher and author of the renowned book ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’—was commanded to quit preaching or be thrown in prison. He knew that if imprisoned—not only would he suffer immensely—but his wife and children might be left without provision. Yet, he knew that God had called him to preach and that being a true disciple meant following the Lord at all costs.

Because of his refusal to stop preaching, Bunyan spent the next twelve years in prison. While in his cell, he wrote:

The parting with my wife and poor children hath often been to me in this place as the pulling of the flesh from my bones; and that, not only because I am somewhat too fond of these great mercies, but also because I would have often brought to my mind the many hardships, miseries, and wants that my poor family was like to meet with, should I be taken from them—especially my poor blind child, who lay nearer my heart than all I have... Oh, the thought of the hardship I thought my blind one might go under would break my heart to pieces.… But yet, recalling myself, thought I, I must venture all with God, though it goeth to the quick to leave you. Oh, I saw in this condition, I was a man who was pulling down his house upon the head of his wife and children; yet thought I, I must do it. I must do it.

Though he suffered tremendously for the sake of the Gospel, the Lord gave him amazing inner peace. He went on to write:

“Jesus Christ also was never more real and apparent then now; here I have seen him and felt him indeed ”

Bunyan knew what it meant to be a disciple—to be willing to take up his cross to follow Jesus. To be willing to give up every comfort and commodity of this world, to follow the Lord.

He willingly suffered for the sake of Christ and the church, and—like the apostle Paul— he encouraged other Christians while in prison. His loyalty to Jesus superceded His own comfort.

The Hymn that we sang last week, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” ought to be the life song of every Real Follower of Jesus:

I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.

2. Tho' none go with me, I still will follow, No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus; No turning back, No turning back.

4. The world behind me, the cross before me, No turning back, no turning back.

If we are truly living our our faith, the Gospel will cost us all something. It will cause us each some level of rejection or persecution. We must be willing to endure whatever comes our way, and continue to proclaim Christ.

Closing

A) Reward

Lest I leave you with the challenges of discipleship, let me share with you some of the positive sides of discipleship:

(1) There is great reward for those who are willing to endure suffering for the sake of Christ.

In being willing to lose our lives, Jesus said we—paradoxically—find life.

(2) If we acknowledge Jesus amongst those who hate Him, Christ will acknowledge us before our heavenly Father. Enduring suffering is a sign that we belong to God.

(3) Our endeavors to proclaim Christ to the lost will bear fruit. The Word never returns void.

In the last verses of this chapter, Jesus said:

Matthew 10:40–42 ESV

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Jesus encouraged His disciples that though many would reject the Gospel—that there would be many who would receive it, and thus, receive Jesus.

Knowing that God will be glorified and lives will be eternally changed, makes suffering well worth it!

B). Count the Cost

Being a Christian means living out-loud for Christ. Living a quiet, secret Christian life is not an option.

We would all do well to count the cost (this is why we don’t pressure people into salvation. You need to know what you are signing up for).

Festo Kivengere—who was converted to Christianity in 1939—became an Anglican Bishop in Uganda and is affectionally called “The Billy Graham of Africa”— because of His commitment to preach the Gospel throughout the land. In one of his books, there is a particularly moving story about enduring persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

In 1885 three Christian boys—ranging in ages from 11-15—were faced with the tough choice of renouncing their faith or losing their lives. The King—who despised Christianity—demanded that they recant their faith or face execution. They refused to deny Christ.

When they arrived at their place of execution, the boys asked that the following message be given to the King:

“Tell his majesty that he has put our bodies in the fire but we won’t be long in the fire. Soon we will be with Jesus, which is much better. But ask him to repent and change his mind or he will land in a place of eternal fire.”

The youngest of the boys, named Yusufu, said

“Please don’t cut off my arms. I will not struggle in the fire that takes me to Jesus.”

Because of the testimony of those three boys, 40 people trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior that day, and indirectly multitudes more were won to the Lord over a period of many years.

Matthew 10:39 (ESV)

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for the sake of Christ, will find it.