Divisions within Households, Conditions and Rewards of Discipleship †

Matthew 10:34-36 *

Luke 12:51-53 *

34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 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;

36 and one's foes will be members of one's own household.

51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52 From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided:

father against son / and son against father,

mother against daughter / and daughter against mother,

mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law

and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Matthew 10:37-39 *

Luke 14:25-27 *

37 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; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Luke 17:33 *

John 12:25 *

33 Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it.

25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Matthew 16:24-25 *

Mark 8:34-35 *

Luke 9:23-24 *

24 Then Jesus told his disciples,

 "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it

34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.

23 Then he said to them all,

"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.

Rewards of Discipleship

Matthew 10:40-42 *

Mark 9:41 *

Luke 10:16 *

Jn 13:20 *

Jn. 12:44-45; 5:23

40 Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and 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 of these will lose their reward

40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me,

and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me."

12:44 Then Jesus cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.

5:23 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

Matthew 11:1 *

11:1 Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities.

† Cf. Kurt Aland, ed., Synopsis of the Four Gospels, rev. printing, 1985, secs. 102-105, pp. 95-97

* NRSV