Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.
He who saves his soul will lose it; but he who loses his life for My sake will save it.
Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; whoever receives the prophet, in the name of the prophet, will receive the reward of the prophet; and whoever receives the righteous, in the name of the righteous, will receive the reward of the righteous.
And whoever gives one of these little ones to drink only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, will not lose his reward.
Matthew 10:37-42
Interpretation of the Gospel of the Blessed
Theophylact of Bulgaria
Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria Matthew 10:37. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
You see that it is only necessary to hate parents and children if they want to be loved more than Christ. But what am I saying about the father and children? Hear more:
Matthew 10:38. and whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.
Whoever, he says, does not renounce this life and does not give himself up to a shameful death (for this meant the cross among the ancients), is not worthy of Me. But since many are crucified as robbers and thieves, he added: “and follows Me,” that is, lives in accordance with My laws!
Matthew 10:39. He who saves his soul will lose it; but he who loses his life for My sake will save it.
He who cares about carnal life thinks that he is saving his soul, but he destroys it too, subjecting him to eternal punishment. Whoever destroys his soul and dies, but not as a robber or suicide, but for the sake of Christ, saves it.
Matthew 10:40. Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me;
Matthew 10:41. whoever receives the prophet, in the name of the prophet, will receive the reward of the prophet;
And whoever receives the righteous, in the name of the righteous, will receive the reward of the righteous.
Encourages us to accept those who are with Christ, for whoever honors His disciples honors Him, and through Him the Father. The righteous and prophets must be received in the name of the righteous and the prophet, that is, because they are righteous and prophets, and not because of any representation or intercession with kings. But if someone wears only the appearance of a prophet, but in reality turns out to be not one, you accept him as a prophet, and God will reward you in the same way as if you had actually accepted a righteous person. For this is what the words mean: “he will receive the reward of the righteous.” You can understand them differently: the one who accepts the righteous will be recognized as righteous; and he will receive the same reward as the righteous.
Matthew 10:42. And whoever gives one of these little ones to drink only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, will not lose his reward.
34 Do not think that I came to bring peace to earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword;
35 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.
36 And a man’s enemies are his own household.
37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
38 And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.
39 He who saves his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for My sake will save it.
40 Whoever receives you receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me;
41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet; and whoever receives the righteous, in the name of the righteous, will receive the reward of the righteous.
42 And whoever gives one of these little ones to drink only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, will not lose his reward.
In these verses the great Head of the Church gives the first commission to those whom He is about to send out to preach the Gospel. In this passage, Christ explains three important truths.
First, He calls us to remember that His gospel does not bring peace and harmony: “...I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” At His first coming, Jesus Christ did not set out to establish a thousand-year kingdom in which there would be no discord. He brought a gospel that led to strife and division. Don't be surprised when you see this happen. Christ himself says that the Gospel divides families and leads to alienation between close relatives. This happens very often because of the depravity of the human heart. As long as one believes and the other remains in unbelief, as long as one tries to get rid of his sins and the other does not pay any attention to them, so long will the preaching of the Gospel divide people. And it is not the Gospel that is to blame for this, but the human heart.
But this is very often forgotten. Many people talk about peace, unity and harmony in the Church of Christ as the most important thing. They say that for this we must sacrifice everything! People who think this way need to remember the words of our Lord. Of course, unity and peace are great blessings, we should strive for them, pray for them. But when it comes to the truth, the situation changes. To imagine that the Churches of Christ will immensely enjoy unity and peace before the millennium is a utopia.
Second, our Lord tells us that true Christians must accept that there will be difficulties in the world. Whether we speak or listen, teach or learn, we must bear the “cross.” We must be ready to sacrifice even our lives for the sake of Christ, to come to terms with the loss of favor with people and with need, we must deny ourselves, since otherwise we will never reach heaven. As long as the world, the devil and our flesh remain the same, we will have to do all these things.
It is useful to remember this and teach it to others. Excessive hopes do the most harm to faith. People mistakenly think that serving Christ will make their lives more comfortable, and when this does not happen, they are completely disappointed in their faith. Blessed is the one who understands that, although Christianity promises a crown at the end of the road, the path to the crown itself must be walked with a cross on your shoulders.
Finally, our Lord comforts us with the fact that even if we serve those who serve Him a little, we will receive a reward from God. Anyone who does even a little for a believer, for example, “gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink, in the name of the disciple... will not lose his reward.”
A wonderful promise! It means that the Lord always looks at those who serve Him and try to benefit people. Often, to workers, their work seems unnoticed. The efforts of preachers, missionaries and teachers may seem very small compared to the actions of kings and parliaments, armies or government officials, but to God they are of great importance. He sees who opposes His servants and who helps them. He observes who treats them kindly, like Lydia did to Paul, and who puts obstacles in their way, like Diotrephes to John (Acts 16:15; 3 John 9). All their experiences in the labors of the harvest are recorded in the great book of memory, God will remember them on the last day. The chief butler forgot about Joseph when he returned to his duties, but the Lord Jesus never forgets about His own. On the morning of the resurrection He will say to many who expect nothing: “I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; “I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me” (Matthew 25:35).
Ask yourself now how you feel about the ministry of Christ and the work of Christ in this world. Are you helping him or hindering him? Do you accept the prophet and the righteous? Are you helping “one of these little ones”? Are you hindering His workers or encouraging them? These are very serious questions. He acts wisely and well who always gives a “cup of cold water” when opportunity presents itself. But he who works in the vineyard of the Lord does even better. Let us strive to leave behind us a world better than it was when we were born! To strive for this is to “have the mind of Christ,” it is to realize the value of the lessons contained in this wonderful chapter.
From today's Gospel reading for All Saints' Sunday, 1st after Pentecost:
" Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me"(Matthew 10:37-38).
Luke says in a similar place even harsher:
"...If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and, moreover, his own life, he cannot be My disciple;
and whoever does not bear his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple"(Luke 14:26-27).
It is clear that “hate” here does not mean literally experiencing hatred (“ everyone who hates his brother is a murderer" - 1 John 3:15), but simply - to love less or not to put in the first place. Of course, any normal person could not utter such words about himself, being in full and sound mind! They could only be uttered by “power having,” the only Son of God, in whom “all the fullness of the deity dwelt bodily.”
But who can admit with all honesty that God and His beloved Son are always in first place in his life and that he alone is given the most love?.. Recognition of this intellectually and theoretically is not always necessarily confirmed in our lives practically. And the latest sad events pose the following question: who loves their earthly fatherland (independent Ukraine or great Russia) more than Christ - are they worthy of Him? And even more so, is the integrity of any state worth the sacrifices that have already been made now and will still be made? How and are the different interests of neighboring states worth the same sacrifices?..
Questions, of course, hang in the air. None of those who call themselves Christians (Orthodox, in particular) are truly worthy of Christ, otherwise he would already be completely not of this world. “No one is worthy from those bound by carnal lusts and passions to come, or draw near, or serve You, the King of Glory” (prayer of the Cherubic song at the liturgy). Jesus came not to save the worthy, but the unworthy. Not the righteous, but sinners. The question is, does anyone really want to become a little more worthy of Christ! That is, what are everyone’s intentions, what is the value orientation of our lives. Truly, God has now given millions of people a test of their own Christianity: in particular, what Christ really means to them, here and now, and what is any person who bears the image of God, but not necessarily a friend and like-minded person. Let this be another Samaritan in the modern version, with whom, let’s say, it would be beneath one’s dignity to communicate!
Our Lord Jesus! If You are giving us, who consider ourselves Your followers, another “lice test,” so be it. Do you always come first? Is it really your will, or various other earthly interests?
The Holy Church reads the Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 10, art. 32-33; 37-38; Chapter 19, Art. 27-30.
10.32. Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father in heaven;
10.33. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.
10.37. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
10.38. and whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.
19.27. Then Peter answered and said to Him: Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what will happen to us?
19.28. Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
19.29. And everyone who leaves houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
19.30. But many who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first.
(Matthew 10, 32–33, 37–38; 19, 27–30)
Having warned of the upcoming persecution awaiting His followers, the Savior calls them to confession.
Euthymius Zigaben explains: “By confession... he encourages them to testify about Himself. Therefore he says: if anyone testifies before people about My Divinity, I will also testify before My Father about his faith, that is, everyone who declares Me to be God, I will declare to be a believer. But whoever rejects Me, I will also reject him.”
Confessing Christ, one must love Him more than anyone else, and put His will, expressed in the commandments, above the will of any other person, and therefore the Savior adds: Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me(Matt. 10:37).
And these words did not sound strange or unexpected to the people around Him. On the contrary, they were a confirmation of faith, because they did not contradict the commandment to honor parents, but complemented it, putting God in first place in spiritual life.
The inhabitants of Galilee knew well what the cross was. What remains in their memory is the suppression of the uprising of Judas of Galilee by the Roman commander Varus, who ordered two thousand Jews to be crucified on crosses and crosses to be placed along the roads of Galilee. Those listening to Christ remembered how the condemned themselves carried their crosses to the place of crucifixion.
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes: “The cross, according to the explanation of the holy fathers, is the name for those sorrows that God wants to allow us during our earthly pilgrimage. Sorrows are varied: each person has his own sorrows; sorrows are most suitable to the passions of each; For this reason, everyone has “his own cross.” Each of us is commanded to accept this cross of ours, that is, to recognize ourselves as worthy of the sorrow sent to us, to endure it complacently, following Christ, borrowing from Him the humility through which sorrow is endured.”
Addressing those listening to Him, the Savior said that the desire to retain existing earthly goods binds a person’s interests, thoughts and feelings to earthly things, which does not allow them to follow the eternal.
To which the Apostle Peter remarked: Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what will happen to us?(Matt. 19:27). Indeed, the apostles were people of different professions and incomes. Some were poor, some, on the contrary, were rich, but they all left everything they had and followed Christ. This expressed their selflessness.
To this the Lord responds that everyone who leaves for His sake everything to which the soul is attached will receive a great reward, and not only in the future, but also in this earthly life.
The Monk John Cassian notes: “He who, for the sake of the name of Christ, will cease to love only father, mother or son and will sincerely love all those who serve Christ will acquire a hundred times more brothers and parents. Instead of one brother or father, he will acquire many fathers and brothers who will be connected with him with an even more ardent and effective feeling.”
Indeed, in the first centuries of Christianity, during persecution, all Christians constituted, as it were, one family, being brothers and sisters in Christ, and the house of each of them was always open to every proclaimer of the word of God, becoming, as it were, his own home in return for the one abandoned for the sake of Christ and preaching Gospels.
The lines of today's Gospel reading, dear brothers and sisters, tell us that every Christian has to sacrifice his peace, comfort and desires for the sake of fulfilling the will of God in this world. This is the way of bearing the cross. And only by following this path do we become heirs of the glory of the Kingdom of God.
Help us in this, Lord!
Hieromonk Pimen (Shevchenko)
Denis Podorozhny answers:
Thanks for the important question. Of course, it is not normal to kill anyone - not only relatives, but also strangers in general. The above quotes very often give rise to confusion, and therefore I will try to answer your question in detail. I would like to dispel all doubts regarding these difficult to understand verses of the Bible.
By the way, more than once atheists and various fighters against Christianity reproached the followers of Jesus Christ for misanthropy, using these passages of Scripture. Indeed, at first glance they differ greatly from the Lord’s teaching about love for one’s neighbor.
I will quote the indicated Bible verses, and I will try to immediately draw your attention to their context, and we will try to understand what is written:
1) “For a son disgraces his father, a daughter rebels against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are his own household.”(Mic. 7:6).
This verse of the Bible rather takes on a negative meaning only if subsequent passages from the Gospel are incorrectly interpreted. But if you look at it in context, it is clear that he who does not read the commandment of the Lord makes himself an enemy of his own family, but rather the opposite. Let's read the passage more broadly, and you will immediately see it:
“There are no more merciful people on earth, no truthful people among people; everyone builds forges to shed blood; everyone sets a net for his brother. Their hands are turned to know how to do evil; the boss demands gifts, and the judge judges for bribes, and the nobles express the evil desires of their souls and pervert the matter. The best of them is like a thorn, and the just is worse than a thorny hedge, the day of Your heralds, Your visitation is coming; Now they will be in turmoil. Don't trust a friend, don't rely on a friend; From her who lies in your bosom keep the door of your mouth. For a son disgraces his father, a daughter rebels against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are his own household. But I will look to the Lord, I will trust in the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.”(Mic.7:2-7).
Micah prophetically describes the state of deep apostasy of the people, when those who are called to be the best and just are extremely vile and selfish, and those closest to man are so dishonest, and that the Lord commands not to believe them and to guard the doors of your mouth (watch your tongue). With such wickedness, the prophet does not give up, but exclaims: “But I will look to the Lord, I will trust in the God of my salvation.”
A correct understanding of the words of Micah is extremely important for the subsequent interpretation of the words of Christ. God does not command enmity, but states the fact that, following pure paths, a person may encounter opposition from loved ones, and those closest to him can make themselves an enemy.
2) “Do not think that I came to bring peace to earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword, for I came to divide a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies are his own household.”(Matt. 10:34-36).
Agree, creepy words? ... Especially if you don’t pay attention to what is written before and after them. But let's take a broader look at what is written:
These three verses follow a large passage - Christ's speech about the end times and the persecution Christians will have to endure. (It is not Christians who will bully their relatives, but rather the opposite).
In verses 21,22 it is written: “Brother will betray brother to death, and father his son; and children will rise up against their parents and kill them; and you will be hated by everyone because of My name; he who endures to the end will be saved.”
Jesus then consoles the disciples that if He is persecuted and humiliated, it is not surprising that His followers will be persecuted: “A disciple is not above the teacher, and a servant is not above his master: 25 It is enough for the student that he should be as his teacher, and for the servant that he should be as his master. If the master of the house was called Beelzebub, how much more of his household?
Continuing the thought, Jesus encourages the disciples three times with the words "Do not be afraid"(verses 26,28,31), warning of the importance of persevering in the faith in times of persecution: “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father who is in heaven; But whoever denies Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
And only after these words does Christ say that he brought a sword to divide his relatives, and quotes Micah: “a man’s enemies are his own household” (And we remember what meaning Micah put into these words).
What sword are we talking about? What kind of sword did the Lord bring from heaven that divides people, and why are they divided? Is it according to His perfect will?
Scripture clearly answers this question, that this sword is the Word of God, which “living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword: it pierces to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”(Heb. 4:12). Also in Ephesians 6:17 it is called the sword of the Spirit.
And division does not come through hatred, humiliation or discord! Some obey the Word, while others refuse to do so, placing themselves on the other side of the barricades. Enmity is generated not because of hatred on the part of Christians (one of the two key commandments for them is the requirement to love your neighbor), but on the contrary - in relation to them. The reason for this is, firstly, disobedience to the Lord, Who becomes a stumbling block and temptation, and secondly, resistance to His Word. That is why it is called the sword that makes division.
Understanding the words of Christ, it is much easier to understand another quote, which actually repeats the one above:
3) “Do you think that I have come to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division; for from now on five in one house will be divided, three against two, and two against three: the father will be against the son, and the son against the father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”(Luke 12:51-53).
It is also interesting to pay attention to another Bible verse:
4) “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”(Luke 14:26).
Looks like Jesus is preaching hate again! But it is strange to hear these words from the One who denounced the Pharisees, who neglected the care and concern of their parents, abolishing the commandment by tradition "Honor your father and mother..."(see Matthew 15:3-6; Mark 7:9-13).
Didn't Jesus talk about loving your neighbor many times?
Or did He not tell the rich young man, who wanted to follow Him, to honor his father and mother? (Mark 10:19)
And having learned that Peter’s mother-in-law was sick, did He really say to Peter “rejoice and rejoice, for your enemy is sick”? NO! He did not call her an enemy, but went and healed her!
These examples go on and on - Jesus never preached hatred of people. The apostles constantly showed compassion and mercy to people, teaching: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved.”
Then how can we understand Christ’s words about hatred spoken in Luke 14:26?
Everything falls into place if we compare it with a similar, but said slightly differently, thought:
5) “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.”(Matthew 10:37).
Comparing these two passages, we can clearly see that Jesus is not literally talking about hatred. He uses a rhetorical technique called “hyperbole”, i.e. deliberate exaggeration in order to emphasize the significance of a thought.
In other words, He compares a person’s attitude towards God and his attitude towards his family and even himself (usually his most beloved), and seems to say:
Love your neighbors, but love God even more! Much stronger! - With all my heart, soul, strength and mind! Let your love for God be so strong that in comparison with it, the strongest love for your neighbors and yourself will look like hatred.
So, in my opinion, Jesus does not teach about hatred, but about the priorities of relationships - to God, to oneself and to people. As for love, Christ even spoke about love for enemies, not just for neighbors.
You can’t blame Him for misanthropy!
If we look at Scripture holistically and do not take any verse out of context, then many difficult passages of Scripture become quite understandable. But even if something is not clear at a certain point in time, do not lose faith and hope! At the right moment, God will reveal!
Bless you!
Denis Podorozhny
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