Commentary on Matthew 10:24-39

The Gospel reading for the fourth Sunday after Pentecost presents a selection from one of Jesus’s extended teachings in the Gospel of Matthew, usually called the missionary discourse. He speaks of the hardships his disciples will face, the divisions his message will bring, and the radical nature of loyalty to him. This passage invites reflection on what it means to follow Jesus with full commitment.

Jesus begins with a statement about identity and suffering: “A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above the master” (10:24). Just as Jesus has faced opposition, his disciples will also. If the people of Jesus’s day could see his work and associate it with the work of the devil, we should not be surprised if similar things happen to us as followers today. Just prior to this verse, Jesus has made clear that allegiance to him will sometimes cause rifts even in families. Again, this is something that Jesus himself had experienced (Mark 3:21), with some of his family questioning his sanity during his ministry.

In verses 26–31, Jesus repeatedly tells his disciples not to be afraid. Though they will face threats, they should not fear those who can harm the body but cannot touch the soul. Instead, they are to trust in God’s care, knowing that even the hairs on their heads are counted. Ultimately, Jesus reminds his hearers of their traditional understanding that God knows all that can be known. He is keeping account, such that even the secret things will one day be made clearly known. 

To further illustrate, Jesus points to a sparrow. The sparrow was one of the smallest and most common birds in that region. These common birds were frequently caught for food or to sell as food (see also Deuteronomy 22:6–7; Amos 3:5; Lamentations 3:52). Yet, even something so common, so cheap, and so small does not fall out of the care and notice of Creator. And if this is the case, then we can extract from that a belief that all truth will be plain before God. 

This is both an affirmation and a warning to us as followers. On the one hand, any time we may face maligning or are the victims of injustice, we can trust that all will one day be uncovered, and God’s justice will make things right. On the other hand, it is also a warning to us. Do we deny him behind closed doors? Do we deny him with our actions? These things, too, will come to light. And to those who deny Jesus, whether by word or deed, this may one day mean that Jesus denies us before God the Father.

Perhaps the most difficult part of this passage is Jesus’s declaration that he has not come to bring peace, but a sword (10:34). He speaks of divisions, even within families, as people respond to his call. In the first century, these tensions were often palpable. Jewish Christians often faced backlash from the wider Jewish community, something we see in the book of Acts and elsewhere. Non-Jewish Christians also faced these tensions, as the wider Roman society was polytheistic, honoring the many gods of the Roman pantheon. The honoring of the gods was a civic and moral duty, and Christian refusal to participate was deeply offensive, resulting even in the charge of being atheists. 

Reading this as an Indigenous man, I cannot help but also think of Indigenous communities throughout much of the world, but especially here on Turtle Island (North America). The church has perpetuated much harm among my people, the First Nations of Canada. Christian theology demonized our culture. Christian teachings like the Doctrine of Discovery bolstered colonial conquest and dehumanization. Christian churches helped to run Indian Residential and Boarding schools, which sought to kill the Indian in the child. It should not be hard for people to understand why there is sometimes such outright hatred toward the Christian church within Indigenous communities. 

And yet, the reality is that many Indigenous people are followers of the Jesus Way. And for us, the painful division is sometimes twofold: We are sometimes at odds with our Indigenous communities because of our devotion to Jesus, while simultaneously being at odds with the church because we are proud of who we are as Indigenous people and seek to follow God the way he has made us—something that is often deeply resisted within the wider church that desires more cultural hegemony.

Jesus concludes this passage with a profound challenge: “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (10:38). This statement, made before his crucifixion, foreshadows the cost of discipleship. To take up the cross is to embrace a way of life marked by sacrifice, service, and faithfulness. Jesus’s words affirm that discipleship is not about personal gain but about embodying God’s love and justice in the world. 

This is a tough pill to swallow, especially in the modern day when comfort, convenience, and safety are so highly prized. And the final verse offers a paradox: “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (10:39). This teaching calls believers to release their grip on self-preservation and embrace the deeper life found in Christ. We will find abundance in life if we take up the life of Christ. True life is found not in accumulation or personal achievement but in living in right relationship with Creator, with community, and with creation. Jesus’s words invite his followers into this reality—where life is defined not by status or security but by faithfulness to God’s call.