Matthew 10:16-25

He's telling us that the church should anticipate potential friction and suffering for him.

that it's often the habitat of discipleship.

In fact, as we went through the text and just read through it, I'm sure you noticed the way that this persecution or hostility spiraled out in Jesus's imagination.

It began, he said in verse 17, in the local courts.

Then it extended beyond the local courts to the dominant religion of that region.

That's typified by the synagogues, the way that most people thought in that region was found there in the synagogues.

Then it extended beyond that to the broader state, governors and kings, he says in verse 18.

And then finally it reached even into the The family, hostility within families because of people's belief in Jesus in verse 21 and following.

And then in verse 22, Jesus says, you will be, this is universal, hated by all for my name's sake.

Not making a comment about the percentage of people, every person, look around.

There's many of us who have not rejected the name of Jesus, but all types of people becoming hostile because of the gospel.

And I think these difficult words from Jesus in the passage we're reading today work among us in many different ways.

I mean, think about the perspective of that this passage can give to us.

We maybe come into this church this morning and we're dealing with some trial or some difficulty in our lives.

Our hot water heater broke this weekend.

I've had to take like three cold showers.

It's one of the biggest trials I've ever gone through in my entire life.

And to read this passage, it's like, oh, there's just a bit of perspective that is given.

You know, there are believers out there throughout the history of the church who have suffered immensely, even to the point of death, for their belief and trust in Jesus.

This can be a methodological word.

What do I mean by that? Well, many of us, myself included, we're grieved, upset, even angered by the decay of the culture and society that we are living in.

And we might wonder, what is the method by which Jesus wants us to operate in this fallen generation? and broken world.

And it's very clear, as we'll see, Jesus did not see us as a power group on a conquering crusade, but as a group entering as vulnerable sheep among wolves.

That's his strategy.

It's also a comforting word.