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34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword [of division between belief and unbelief].(A) 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 a man’s enemies will be the members of his [own] household [when one believes and another does not].(B)

37 [a]He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.(C) 38 And he who does not take his [b]cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me. 39 Whoever finds his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].(D)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:37 Commitment to Jesus takes precedence over all else.
  2. Matthew 10:38 The historical background behind this statement is that those who were about to be crucified had to carry the crossbeam to which they would be nailed or bound. In addition to the terrible agony that crucifixion inflicted, it was such a great indignity that some of the Roman writers used the word cross as a curse word in the expression “Go to a bad cross!” (Lat i in malam crucem).

34  Do not think nomizō that hoti I have come erchomai to bring ballō peace eirēnē to epi the ho earth . I did not ou come erchomai to bring ballō peace eirēnē, but alla a sword machaira. 35 For gar I came erchomai to turn dichazō a man anthrōpos against kata · ho his autos father patēr, and kai a daughter thugatēr against kata · ho her autos mother mētēr, and kai a daughter-in-law nymphē against kata · ho her autos mother-in-law penthera; 36 and kai a man’ s anthrōpos enemies echthros · ho will be · ho members oikiakos of his autos own household. 37 Whoever ho loves phileō father patēr or ē mother mētēr more hyper than me egō is eimi not ou worthy axios of me egō, and kai whoever ho loves phileō son hyios or ē daughter thugatēr more hyper than me egō is eimi not ou worthy axios of me egō. 38 And kai whoever hos does not ou take lambanō up · ho his autos cross stauros and kai follow akoloutheō me egō is eimi not ou worthy axios of me egō. 39 Whoever ho finds heuriskō · ho his autos life psychē will lose apollymi it autos, but kai whoever ho loses apollymi · ho his autos life psychē for my egō sake will find heuriskō it autos.

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