35 “For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’”
10:35
For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;
Verses 35 and 36 are quotations from Micah 7:6. This is a quote from King Ahaz’s reign. A division in his day pointed to division in Jesus’ day.
Jesus divides relatives because some believe that He was the Messiah. The word “set” literally is to divide in two. This causes a choice to be made between Christ and close family members. Christ is a divider of families. The believer is not the problem here, but rather the people closest to him. Their attitude is that the believer must choose between Christ and the family. The Lord must be the believer’s first priority (vv. 36-38).
10:36
and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’
People will reject family members who accept Christ as Messiah. This is the effect of preaching an exclusive message. The truth of the gospel forces conflict by the nature of its message.
PRINCIPLE:
There is no alternative to putting Jesus first.
APPLICATION:
Due to the nature of the gospel message, Christians cannot escape conflict. Once we identify with Christ, trouble will follow. When we enter a time of deep problems and reversals in life, we must love Jesus more than our families or ourselves.
As a person grows in Christ, His love for family will grow and become more powerful. This is because capacity for love grows. This, however, does not preclude problems in the family.
