Our scripture this week is Matthew 10:24-31.
“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Jesus warns us that by being like Him, we will face the same opposition He did. He says “If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household” (v. 25). Jesus was often accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul (Matthew 12:24) and He wants His disciples to be ready for the same accusations and worse.
Following Jesus was never promised to be easy. He told us those that follow must be ready to “deny themselves, and take up their cross” (Matthew 16:24). This is a hard task for a self-centered society!
In order to obey His call and follow Him, we must be willing to put the needs of others ahead of our own. In order to do that, we must engage them and hear them. If we close our ears to the cries of those around us, we can never hear the call Christ places on our lives.
Loving Lord, we are often deaf to the reality around us. Help us to listen with our hearts, ready to share Your love with all the world. Amen.