“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to ‘set man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 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. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Mathew 10: 34-39
Jesus did not come to earth to bring peace, but instead a sword. God knew that sending His Son would tear families apart in order to bring His people to glorify and honor Him. Although Jesus truly values families and the importance of them as He states in Matthew 15:4, “For God commanded saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and ,’He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'” God does not wish to bring division between families, but what Jesus is asking for is such loyalty to Him that you would be willing to make extreme sacrifices.
Many of the Christians I have met here come from Muslim families and years of Muslim heritage. But they still choose to follow Christ. Their mothers and fathers do not agree with them and openly reject them because of it. Some Christians secretly worship Christ without telling their families for fear of rejection. For people here believing in Christ means tearing apart their families and feeling isolated from them. Yet, the need to have a relationship with Christ is greater. They sacrifice the relationship with their family to gain a greater reward. Yet many people here have earthy things holding them back from Christ. They do not let go of their relationships with their parents, family members, or even friends for the fear of rejection and hate. And for that we must pray for them. Matthew 8:21-22 says, “Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Jesus commands us to leave everything we have and follow Christ and when we do, we gain a much greater reward-eternity with Christ! As Matthew 5:12 states, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”
I challenge you to put yourself in the shoes of the people here in Gjakova. Would you go all the way for Christ. Would you sacrifice your relationship with your mother or brother? Father or sister? Jesus says, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” We must let go of our earthly relationships and possessions in order to fully know the greatness and power of Jesus Christ.
Please pray that God encourage and strengthen the Christians here and that He use them to further His Kingdom. Please pray that those who have not given their life to Christ be ripped of the things holding them back and that they come to know the real truth found only in Christ Jesus.
