“A disciple is not above the teacher nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
“Everyone, therefore, who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven, but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
“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.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:24-39, NRSVue)
This reading reminds me of Hebrews 12:2 Fix your eyes upon Jesus the author and perfector of our faith. This is how I remember it from my youth. And I remember seeing things then that said this is the cross-eyed text.
But I have also told congregations that is you are looking at Jesus, and you see his face, you don’t really understand your place. If we are following Jesus we will see the back of his head. And when we follow Jesus, we will sometimes make others upset. This will put family members against family members and make people unhappy with the things we do and say.
Jesus is not about keeping the status quo, but about including all.
So fix your eyes upon Jesus and see the back of his head as you follow him into the streets to welcome all.
aSacredRebel 