Monsterlizard - Born Again

Matthew 10 is a short chapter, but I have found much light in it.  Here, the 12 apostles are given the charge from Jesus to carry his message to the people of Israel.  They are told to do no more than He has done.  They are also told to be on guard for those who do not wish to hear the truth.

Jesus tells them to seek out worthy people and to leave the dust of the unworthy, like an ancient investigation committee.  He also tells them to proclaim from the rooftops what He shows us in the dark or whispers in our ear.

I think the biggest eye opener for me in this chapter is that Jesus says “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34).  Jesus did not come to solve the problems of the earth, but to prepare His people for the kingdom of God.  Not everyone will enter.  Members of our family today may not be worthy to join us.  We must love Him over ourselves, but more especially over our family.

 7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

 9“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  (Matthew 7:7-12)

 This is an assurance from Jesus that God is listening.  He is explaining that God will grant us mercy when asked, even when we are evil.  He also commands that as God will grant us mercy, we must grant mercy to others.  He goes as far as saying that the laws of Moses and the prophecies were commanding the same thing.

It is strange to me that the most simple of laws are the most difficult.  When things are well defined as eat this, wear that, sacrifice these you can rate your progress and know when you have failed.  But, giving grace to everyone always is hard to accomplish.  It requires complete priority change that I pray to obtain.