What I’m Thinking: Under Stress

Jesus often favored the “Tell it like it is” approach to teaching his disciples rather than a gentler one. Matthew 10 combines both, strangely. Jesus reassures, but he also makes clear that his followers face struggle.

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking this week about Jesus’ continued instructions to his disciples, which are found in the 10th chapter of Matthew (Matthew 10:24-39). 

It’s a funny kind of section. It seems almost to go back and forth between expressions of reassurance to predictions of real struggle.

Jesus talks about God knowing about every single sparrow, and telling the disciples that they are more valuable than sparrows. And yet at the same time, he promises dissension within families: father and son, mother and daughter separated from one another because of the gospel.

He doesn’t really give much instruction for how to cope with all this stress. Just simply this: Keep going. Keep loving. Keep striving. Keep proclaiming good news to the people, and do not let all the struggles toss you aside.

That’s what I’m thinking! I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. Leave your thoughts in the comment section below; I’d love to hear from you.