The Holy Church reads the Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 10, art. 37 - 42; chapter 11, art. 1
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.
10:39. He who saves his soul will lose it; but he who loses his life for My sake will save it.
10:40. Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me;
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.
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.
11:1. And when Jesus finished teaching his twelve disciples, he went from there to teach and preach in their cities.
(Matt. 10, 37-42; 11, 1)
The Lord pronounces the most important words for His disciples and, in general, for anyone who wants to embark on the Christian path, discovers the Gospel and wants to live as God determines.
In verse 37, the Lord utters seemingly very strange and terrible words: “ Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Can a person understand and accept these words? How is this possible? What do the words mean: “Whoever loves father or mother, son or daughter, more than Me is not worthy of Me”? How can a person living in the 21st century, for whom Christ is not open in the same way as he was revealed to the disciples who saw and touched Him during his sermons, accept this? How can someone who learns about Christ through the Gospel, and perhaps through something else, accept Christ?
Of course, we are not talking about the kind of love that we understand as filial or paternal. We are talking about some kind of attachment here. The Lord says: “Where your heart is, there is your treasure,” that is, where your soul is attached to or to whom. It's no secret that parents sometimes adore their children so much that they can cause great harm to them and themselves: destroy themselves and raise completely inadequate (let's say) people. From such love various sad stories can arise.
Here the Lord says: “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” One way or another, we are always faced with a choice: to follow Christ or not to follow Him. Sometimes this choice even involves whether to listen to your loved ones or follow Christ. It is no coincidence that the Lord says: “And a man’s enemies are his own household”. Sometimes such a scary and difficult choice may be required. “Whoever loves his father or mother,” that is, who binds his heart to something earthly, it doesn’t matter whether it’s family relationships or material wealth, but all this will greatly harm the person. After all, the Lord continues to say: “And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me,” that is, “whoever refuses his cross is unworthy of Me.”
How can you renounce your cross, how can this manifest itself? When you internally cannot come to terms with some external circumstances. The cross is an image of the difficulties that exist in our lives. “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.” Let us remember how the Lord takes up His cross and goes to Golgotha. The Lord Himself bears His cross; this image should be clear and understandable to most of us. “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me,” that is, such a person simply cannot be a Christian or ever become one. After all, bearing your cross is associated with many changes in yourself. It means humility and understanding that God provides for everything that happens in the world and we are all in this saving Providence of God. God's providence extends to all people. In our lives it manifests itself through a variety of life circumstances and situations. Sometimes we have to humble our pride, because if we say: “Why is this happening to me, why does God allow such circumstances in my life?” - it means we abandon our cross.
In verse 42 the Lord says: “ 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.” The Lord does not set us any supernatural tasks, does not require us to do backbreaking work that we cannot complete. He says that if you give a traveler cold water to drink, you will already have a great reward in heaven. Our whole life consists of such little things that we should pay our attention to, but sometimes we don’t. Some small human need, but by looking closely at it and taking part in it, we can bring great benefit to our hearts. That's the whole point. The Lord does not call us to fight windmills, to do something incredible, to perform supernatural feats. It is necessary to understand what we are moving towards, what we want and are trying to achieve in our lives. The Lord calls us to bear our cross so that our heart is in the right place: clinging to God, then there will be no temptation or temptation, no changes - everything will go on as usual, in the order that God has established.
It is very important for us to turn again and again to these words that conclude the 10th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, in which the Lord teaches us the Christian path, a path that is truly difficult and not easy, but at the end of which great bliss awaits us and joy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
God bless you!
Priest Daniil Ryabinin
Transcript: Nina Kirsanova
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.
Vladimir asksAnswered by Viktor Belousov, 12/26/2007
Peace to you, Vladimir!
Let's explore this issue together and compare:
Matthew:
1 And he called his twelve disciples, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal every disease and every disease. 2 And the names of the twelve apostles are these: first Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James Zebedee and John his brother, 3 Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the publican, James Alphaeus and Levbeus, called Thaddeus, 4 Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, neither enter into the city of the Samaritans;...
21 Brother will betray brother to death, and father his son; and children will rise up against their parents and kill them; 22 And you will be hated by everyone because of My name; he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one city, flee to another. For truly I say to you, before you have gone around the cities of Israel, the Son of Man comes. 24 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? 26 So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be known. 27 What I say to you in the dark, speak in the light; and whatever you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but fear Him more who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. 29 Are not two small birds sold for an assar? And not one of them will fall to the ground without the [will] of your Father; 30 And the hairs of your head are all numbered; 31 Do not be afraid: you are better than many small birds. 32 Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father who is in heaven; 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 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 came to divide 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.
Luke:
15 Hearing this, one of those reclining with Him said to Him: Blessed is he who eats bread in the Kingdom of God! 16 And he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper and invited many, 17 and when the time for supper came, he sent his servant to say to those invited: Go, for everything is already ready.” 18 And they all began, as if by agreement, to apologize. The first one said to him: I bought land and I need to go and look at it; please forgive me. 19 Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen and am going to test them; please forgive me. 20 The third said, “I am married, and therefore I cannot come.” 21 And the servant returned and reported this to his master. Then, angry, the owner of the house said to his servant: go quickly through the streets and alleys of the city and bring here the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. 22 And the servant said: Master! done as you ordered, and there is still room. 23 The master said to the servant, “Go out along the roads and hedges and compel them to come, so that my house may be filled.” 24 For I tell you that none of those who are called will taste my supper, for many are called, but few are chosen. 25 Many people went with Him; and He turned and said to them: 26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and indeed his own life, he cannot be My disciple;
There are significant differences in these passages:
1) These are different words of Christ and different situations in which He spoke these words.
2) Matthew’s words are addressed to selected disciples who are sent to independently preach the Gospel. In Luke these are words to a crowd of people who have gathered to listen to the Teacher and a choice is made - to become disciples or not.
3) The essence of our passage (about the attitude towards parents and relatives) in Matthew comes down more to the conflict during preaching, because the families of the disciples do not understand and do not share the teachings of Jesus (with rare exceptions). You probably remember when even Jesus’ mother and brothers came to Jesus in bewilderment from His sermon, they did not sit and listen with the disciples, but came much later (at the end) with a slightly different task, which explains the words of Christ ().
The essence of the passage in Luke is somewhat different - election for the Kingdom of Heaven (, 24) and the criteria for this election. Apprenticeship for those who have not yet become apprentices. There is no “cheapness” here - follow Me and you will feel very good. Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship. Understanding the responsibility and seriousness of choice. For this reason, the words are somewhat more “hard”, although the phrase is similar.
I hope the difference is now clearer.
Blessings,
Victor
Read more on the topic “Interpretation of Scripture”:
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?
