A Tough and Rewarding Job

Text: Matthew 10:34-42

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

          We’ve all heard of the Peace Corps. Since the 1960’s they’ve been sending volunteers to places all over the world to serve the neediest of communities. They began recruiting volunteers over 60 years ago with the slogan “The toughest job you’ll ever love.” And today they say that it’s “still the toughest job you’ll ever love.” The idea behind the Peace Corps is to foster goodwill toward America by bringing help in challenging situations around the world.

Our Gospel for today is the last section of Jesus’ encouragement to the apostles as He sends them out on a challenging missionary journey: to bring eternal peace to dying souls. In this section, for the first time in the Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus uses the word cross. He closes these sending thoughts with a reminder of what the disciples will be up against and of the great blessing that they aren’t alone.

BEING A DISCIPLE IS A TOUGH JOB,

BUT ONE WITH GREAT REWARDS AS JESUS GOES WITH YOU.

Jesus warns His hearers that what He calls the “sword” is coming. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

That sounds strange to us because in other places it’s abundantly clear that Jesus did come to bring peace. Remember that in the beatitudes He said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” The angels announced it at Jesus’ birth: “peace on earth.” Jesus even tells His apostles that on this journey He’s sending them out on that they’re to bring his peace. Jesus is even called the “Prince of Peace.” But Jesus’ teaching in John 14 makes clear the point he’s emphasizing in today’s Gospel. It’s there that He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.”

The world’s peace is a fickle, fleeting, and failing thing. And it won’t help you when life gets tough. Your social media feed and popular opinions aren’t going to lay down their lives for you. In fact, the world will betray you in a heartbeat, right when you need real peace the most. But Jesus delivers to you, his repentant believers, peace with God right now and forever. His peace never fails. Because Jesus has come to free us from Satan’s dominion, to cleanse us from our sins, to rescue us from death, and to restore us to our heavenly Father as his dear children, Satan rages. Jesus’ lasting peace is, of course, the last thing Satan wants you or anyone to have. So, the evil one stirs up trouble, especially within and against the Christian Church. He finds a way in and exposes and widens the cracks. He uses the world—sadly, even other eternal souls—to attack faithful proclaimers of Christ’s eternal kingdom and peace.

Jesus then is saying that the expected reaction to his true peacemaking is the world’s wrath. And He tells us not to be surprised by this. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 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. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.”

There’s not a household, or even a congregation, that hasn’t felt this sword. Since Cain and Abel, Lot and his sons-in-law, Joseph and his brothers, David and Absalom, it’s always been this way. Even Adam turned on Eve after they both ate the forbidden fruit. And I know that each of you, in some way or another, have been cut deeply by this sword. In fact, Jesus even experienced it. His own family tried to stop Him. Judas, one of the very apostles to whom Jesus first spoke these words, betrayed Him. His heavenly Father turned from Him at the cross because Jesus was bearing my sin and yours. Jesus knows the pain, the sadness, and the heartbreak. And He bears it with you.

Jesus also knows that we’ll be really tempted to throw Him away or weaken His truth to make peace with the world. But that won’t work, at least not for long. “Whoever finds his life will lose it.”

Finding an easy life—a life at peace with the world—won’t last. Death is coming. Judgment is coming. And it’s precisely then, when you need real peace and a real Savior, that the world’s power and popularity will vanish and abandon its worshipers. And between now and then, finding the world’s idea of life is an exhausting, frustrating venture. Everything changes. Worldly acceptance will keep asking for more and more because the world, like all false gods, consumes its worshipers.

Only the true God invites his worshipers to feast with Him, and on Him. He gives forgiveness, strength, comfort, and a place of belonging with Him as he gives you his Word, his Absolution, and his body and blood to save you. In Jesus, you receive a peace that the world can never take from you. “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” We lose our life by repenting and dying to ourselves, and we find it by trusting only in the saving work of Christ.

When the sword divides and dear ones remove themselves from the Lord’s house and His truth, then our job is to pray to the true peacemaker. Cry out to Jesus for those who think they’ve found their lives but are losing them. Like the friends who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus, opened the roof of the crowded house, and lowered their buddy before the Great Physician of body and soul, carry with you to Jesus the names of those who aren’t here; carry them with you when you meet Jesus in his body and blood at this altar. Drop those names at Jesus’ feet. Call Him, the very Son of God who died for them, to chase after them, restore them, and save them. In the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, there isn’t a single case in which Jesus doesn’t answer the plea for mercy of a parent or friend for another. So, invite them to come with you. Don’t nag or manipulate them. But do pray for them. Jesus hears you. He knows what’s needed. Trust Him to hear and act. Take up your cross and follow Him. Let Him lead the way.

And He will go with you. Jesus gives great encouragement to those who proclaim Him. And with that encouragement we’re promised that no Christian missionary, pastor, or confessor goes it alone. Jesus and the Father go with them. Listen to these words of abundant joy. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” Jesus goes with his faithful confessors so that when they’re welcomed because of Jesus, Jesus is received too. And more than that, even our heavenly Father is received. Even as we’re hearing Jesus’ words today and as you’re receiving me, your pastor, you’re receiving Jesus and the Father.

Think of what would be lost if, instead of faithfully proclaiming Jesus, a pastor or a missionary chose to make peace with the unbelieving world and offer a worldly peace. Those who welcome that messenger have no chance in that interaction to receive Jesus, the Father, eternal life, or peace. But when pastors and missionaries deliver Jesus’ blood-bought peace through the joyful confession of his name, then Jesus Himself can be welcomed in and the Father of mercy is pleased to bring peace that will never fail.

Jesus’ promise to accompany the Gospel is why we preach Christ crucified as the only salvation for sinners. Anything less, anything else is forfeiting the saving grace of our merciful Lord, who loves us and gave Himself for us. This rich promise of Jesus is also why being a proclaimer of the Gospel of Christ is the most blessed calling. The good news of Jesus delivers Jesus and the Father to all who receive the messenger. And Jesus and the Father stick with the messenger of the Gospel through thick and thin.

Our Lord gives one more stunning promise in today’s Gospel: “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Jesus so values his disciples, that what happens to His followers happens to Him. A cup of cold water given to a disciple of Jesus is rewarded as if it were given to Jesus Himself. Think of what this means for all who proclaim the Gospel around the world and all faithful pastors: Jesus goes with them. And think of the encouragement here for us believers who support these proclaimers of the Gospel. Just giving a cup of water or generously supporting them from the gifts the Lord has given us means that you will not lose your reward. Nobody may notice or say thank you for the support you give, but the Lord of eternal peace who has saved us solely by taking our place on the cross and being raised from the dead to give us life, He remembers.

You who have been claimed by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Holy Baptism, who trust in Jesus alone for your salvation, who take up your cross and follow Him: there may be swords, division, heartbreak, and pain, but Jesus is with you, for you, and will never forsake you.

Being a disciple is a tough job, but it has great rewards as Jesus goes with you! Which makes it a job you’ll certainly love! Thanks be to God, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.