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24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 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! 26 “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. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 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. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. 34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10: 24-39 NRSV)
Happy Marvelous Monday to you dear Friend! I pray this finds you well, blessed and recharged for the week! Prayers for God's love and His peace be felt in every corner of the world during this week especially among those who try to hide in secret, dark corners away from attention. Be not fooled, we cannot hide from God. And that is a wonderful thing!
I remember loving roller coasters as a child. Well, okay, the kind I would ride were the ones that came to me. Downtown Kingsville, during Christmas, had the Main Street blocked off and a carnival would set up shop there, with all sorts of rides, including a made-for-children roller coaster. The circus would come to town as well, and they would have other carnival attractions, including small rollercoasters. Then we moved away from Kingsville to Houston. Soon, Houston had Astroworld and one of the biggest wooden rollercoasters I had ever seen! I believe it was called the Texas Cyclone. The intention by Astroworld was to buy the Coney Island Cyclone and move it to Texas, but realized that would be more expensive than making their own, so soon the 93 feet high, 3,180 feet long rollercoaster was introduced to Astroworld in 1976. The ride lasted only two minutes and 13 seconds. The lines were long enough for me to analyze and study and realize that I had outgrown rollercoasters! I did not want to ride the Texas Cyclone or anything like it. I did try some smaller coasters that were equally as scary, but it was interesting that as the long line made its way to the point of entry and departure, there were no Exits or places where one could say, "Nope! I changed my mind!" And to do so, would be super embarrassing. Not to mention if one was on a date and then you had to tell your date, "You know what? I've changed my mind/I'm not feeling well/That hotdog didn't agree with my stomach; best not get on this ride/I will marry you if you don't make me ride this rollercoaster!" One does not get to the point of full commitment and then walk away.
This passage is all about that. Jesus is explaining the Kingdom of God and what is expected of those who would commit. God expects full commitment and once we are in, we should strive to stay in, completely in, and fully participating and contributing. It will never be easy, but it will always be blessed. Yes, you might get name-called, so was Jesus, even a terrible name like Beelzebul. You have to give witness to what you have learned, what you have seen, what you have experienced, and how you were blessed. Always be respectfully fearful of God; for it is God the Ultimate One who in in charge. God will care for you and will always know where you are. Never be afraid; boldly say who you are, and Whose you are. If you ever disown God, God will disown you. Jesus also warns that to follow Him might not be the best news your family has ever heard; some will even disown you for what you hold special and sacred; not to fear, you belong to God. You have to love God more than anyone, or anything. And even that does not measure to the love that God has for you.
Our daily duty in following and serving God may be called a cross, precisely because that is what Christ was willing to endure for our sake, and some, even today, pay with their lives to be called a Christian ("little Christ"). In finding your life in Jesus, you will find eternal peace.
PRAYER: Loving God, make us worthy of this calling. May our journey always, always involve You. Hold us steady when we need, and surely pick us up when we fall. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage; for the living of these days; for the living of these days; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Bless someone by showing how fully committed you are to this ride of your life!
Receive my blessings of joy and peace!
Pastor Eradio Valverde
