Jesus' Words  / Divisions within Households

Divisions within Households

Matthew 10:34–39 · §102


34“Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. 35For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36A man’s foes will be those of his own household. 37He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. 38He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me. 39He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Same passage in the King James Version

34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37He 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. 38And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Parallel passages

Gospel of Thomas

Thomas 16: Jesus said, "Maybe people think that I've come to cast peace on the world, and they don't know that I've come to cast divisions on the earth: fire, sword, and war. Where there are five in a house, there'll be three against two and two against three, father against and son and son against father. They'll stand up and be one." (a parallel saying preserved outside the four Gospels)

Thomas 55: Jesus said, "Whoever doesn't hate their father and mother can't become my disciple, and whoever doesn't hate their brothers and sisters and take up their cross like I do isn't worthy of me." (a parallel saying preserved outside the four Gospels)

Thomas 101: "Whoever doesn't hate their father and mother as I do can't become my disciple, and whoever doesn't love their father and mother as I do can't become my disciple. For my mother …, but my true Mother gave me Life." (a parallel saying preserved outside the four Gospels)

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