“Jesus said, “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 one’s foes will be members of one’s own household”  (Matthew 10:34fff).

When we hear these passages read in the gospel today we might wonder: "Is this the Jesus whose coming the angels announced with songs of 'peace on earth'?  Is this the same man, Jesus, who greeted his disciples with "peace be with you, my dear children?”

It’s tempting for preachers to wriggle out of addressing these troublesome texts, to get oneself off the hook so to speak, either by avoiding the text altogether or by softening the force.  Nothing we read in Jesus' ministry tells us that total obedience to God makes for an easy life.  One writer says, "The sword means 'strife in the sod,' the struggle created because the world does not easily welcome the followers of Jesus, the seekers and doers of justice and truth.  Even during his lifetime on earth, there was a separation between those who decided to become Jesus' disciples from those who turned their back and walked away."  The writer goes on to say that "The separation must have been painful.  Jesus himself was misunderstood by his blood brothers and sisters and even by his mother."

Let’s look at it in another level of the possibilities of what Jesus is teaching in these difficult passages.  I remember as a kid in school being given a design of nine dots.  They were lined up in a square of three rows of three.  The object of the game was to connect the dots in one continuous line.  At first it seemed impossible.  I tried over and over again to connect all of the dots but it just seemed impossible.  No matter what I tried, I was not able to connect the dots in one continuous line.  Finally I was shown the secret of the trick.  We had to take the line and go beyond the confines of the dots so that all the dots could be connected.  Upon hearing Matthew, chapter ten, verse thirty-seven and following, you get the impression that Jesus may be asking too much of the people of his name and us today.  To renounce family, come on Jesus, you can’t be serious!  But, you see, that’s just it, Jesus never said , “I want you to stop loving your families.” 

Rather, he was asking them to take their love to further extremes; higher levels as it were.  It’s kind of like going back to the puzzle of the nine dots in the box.  We are being asked to go beyond the box and go outside the box to love.  To love God more.  Thus, with a better understanding of God and our love for him, we are then better able to love others in our life much more.  The gospel today is not asking us to abandon anyone we love.  Jesus is simply inviting us to grow in knowledge of him.  For to know him is to love him--more than we could possibly imagine.

The paradox of the Christian life is as the gospel says today, we lose in order to find.  We die in order to rise again.  Jesus said, "Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."

However, we live in a world where "finding our lives" is the paramount ambition of many of the people in our society.  Americans for the most part are well-fed, well-dressed.  The food is plentiful, so plentiful that we spend billions of dollars to diet and exercise.  Our search for the fountain of youth is so prevalent in our society that one of the newest medicines paralyzes the muscles of the face in order to wipe away wrinkles.  We have an abundance of clothes, so many clothes that even the poor don’t want them (have you seen people at the salvation army stores taking away baled clothing which the Thrift Store can't sell because of over abundance).  One writer says, "Too many goods, too many weapons--we don't know where to store them without endangering the environment for all time to come--too many airplanes, too many means of killing one another."  The writer ends by saying, "We are 'finding' our lives right and left, and the finding brings no peace, only agony and fear of terrorism, the new idol possessing our minds and dictating our fears."

But, Jesus, tells us in scripture that none of these things really matter.  Jesus is very clear that none of these fears, none of these vain efforts really matter.  Jesus is asking us to lose this life; to stop trying to be in control and live not for ourselves but rather for others; to forget about security and to work towards the security of others; to forget about dieting because if we don't over eat and over-consume there will be plenty of food on the earth to feed those who are hungry.  And, last but not least, to stop polluting our environment so that the rest of the world will have clean air to breathe.  All these fall into place when we lose ourselves in caring for others.  Jesus said, "…whoever gives even a cup of water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple--truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."

A fascinating true story is told.  During the course of the second and third centuries a series of plagues beset most of the world.  It was during this time that the Christian faith was beginning to spread and you would have thought that the Christian faith would have surely died at that time because, wouldn't people certainly ask, "What kind of God is this that would allow all this death to happen to innocent people?"

Here's the rest of the story:  Strangely enough it was a time of great church growth.  People flocked to the Christian faith because the Christians seemed to be surviving the plague better than the general public.  It wasn't that God was saving the Christians and destroying the heathens.  The reason was that the Christians were taking seriously the command of Jesus to offer a cup of cold water.

Truthfully the Christians didn't know how to stop the plague any better than anybody else, but while the pagans pulled away and abandoned the sick and dying, the Christian caregivers ministered to the dying, giving them drink and food and comfort.  Many Christians died performing these loving acts of mercy, but the number of Christian caregivers who died was dwarfed by the numbers of the ill who recovered.  The help they received was just enough to enable them to weather the storm and get well.  When you look into the face of your neighbor, you are looking at Christ and yourself.

A few years ago, while on vacation, we visited the crystal cathedral in garden grove, California, the cathedral that TV evangelist Robert Schuler has made famous.  His compound has beautifully manicured gardens and trees carefully kept by Japanese gardeners.  Amongst the gardens and the trees are numerous biblical statues depicting scenes from scripture.  One of them is Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus leaving Bethlehem and returning home.  Mary is riding on the donkey with all their belongings behind her.  She is holding baby Jesus and Joseph is walking alongside.  You can go right up to these statues and touch and feel them if you wish.  This statue is striking because the baby Jesus is made of highly polished stainless steel. 

I thought it very strange when I first saw it.  But, then our guide explained that Jesus' face is made of highly polished stainless steel so that when you look at it you see your own face.  In looking into Jesus' face you are commanded to see Jesus. 

It reminds me of the verse we just read: "whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple--truly I tell you, none will lose their reward…those who lose their life for my sake will find it."  when you see Jesus, you see God and when you see your neighbor, you see Christ.  Treat everyone, whether rich or poor, with respect and kindness.   Have no hidden agenda, no need to dominate others.  Be pure in thought, word and deed--look into the face of Jesus--then you will attract others, not through money or power, but through the strength of your character--look into the face of Jesus.

Paul understood all this clearly because when he lost his life on the road to Damascus, he found it in such a way that nothing but nothing could separate him from the love of Jesus Christ.  Paul calls it "newness of life."  Paul in Romans says "Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” 

I don't know about you, but, it's comforting to me in a world that tries to scare us to death that in Jesus Christ we are assured a non-terrifying death.  Dying to sin, dying to desires that oppress instead of delight us, dying to selfishness in order to give God the glory.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.