Matthew 10:21-42

“Brothers will turn against their own brothers and give them over to be killed. Fathers will turn against their own children and give them to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and have them killed. All people will hate you because you follow me. But the person who continues strong until the end will be saved. When you are treated badly in one city, go to another city. I tell you the truth. You will not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A student is not better than his teacher. A servant is not better than his master. A student should be satisfied to become like his teacher. A servant should be satisfied to become like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, then the other members of the family will be called worse names! “So don’t be afraid of those people. Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. I tell you these things in the dark, but I want you to tell them in the light. I speak these things only to you, but you should tell them to everyone. Don’t be afraid of people. They can only kill the body. They cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the One who can destroy the body and the soul in hell. When birds are sold, two small birds cost only a penny. But not even one of the little birds can die without your Father’s knowing it. God even knows how many hairs are on your head. So don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many birds. “If anyone stands before other people and says he believes in me, then I will say that he belongs to me. I will say this before my Father in heaven. But if anyone stands before people and says he does not believe in me, then I will say that he does not belong to me. I will say this before my Father in heaven. “Don’t think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. I have come to make this happen: ‘A son will be against his father, a daughter will be against her mother, a daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law. A person’s enemies will be members of his own family.’ Micah 7:6 “Whoever loves his father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy to be my follower. Whoever loves his son or daughter more than he loves me is not worthy to be my follower. Whoever is not willing to die on a cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever tries to hold on to his life will give up true life. Whoever gives up his life for me will hold on to true life. Whoever accepts you also accepts me. And whoever accepts me also accepts the One who sent me. Whoever meets a prophet and accepts him will receive the reward of a prophet. And whoever accepts a good man because that man is good will receive the reward of a good man. Whoever helps one of these little ones because they are my followers will truly get his reward. He will get his reward even if he only gave my follower a cup of cold water.”