37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.(A) 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.(B) 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.(C)

40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me,(D) and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.(E) 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”(F)

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37 (A)The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And (B)the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 (C)The one who has found his [a]life will lose it, and the one who has lost his [b]life on My account will find it.

The Reward for Service

40 (D)The one who [c]receives you [d]receives Me, and (E)the one who [e]receives Me [f]receives Him who sent Me. 41 (F)The one who [g]receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who [h]receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And (G)whoever gives one of these [i]little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:39 Or soul
  2. Matthew 10:39 Or soul
  3. Matthew 10:40 Or welcomes
  4. Matthew 10:40 Or welcomes
  5. Matthew 10:40 Or welcomes
  6. Matthew 10:40 Or welcomes
  7. Matthew 10:41 Or welcomes
  8. Matthew 10:41 Or welcomes
  9. Matthew 10:42 Possibly someone of low social standing

37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. 41 If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God,[a] you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. 42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

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Footnotes

  1. 10:41 Greek receive a prophet in the name of a prophet.

34-37 “Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me.

38-39 “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.

40-42 “We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”

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37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

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