The Scary Part
If Matthew 5:29-30 is both literally and figuratively true as a parable, then it would appear that Jesus tells us to take up our cross to follow Him by cutting off our hands and gouging out our eyes, Matthew 10:38-39. The problem with such an interpretation is that a person would run out of eyes and hands after committing only four sins.
The only way for Matthew 5:29-30 to be 100% literal and true is if Jesus is talking about Himself. As such, Jesus was gouged out with a multi-stranded whip embedded with pits of broken pottery and metal. Then, He was cast out of the earth when they lifted Him up on a cross just like Moses lifted up the serpent on a wooden staff.
As believers, it is not too far fetched to prepare for this same kind of treatment in order to fellowship in Christ's sufferings. That is when Matthew 10:31-39 comes into play.
Matthew 10:31-39
31 "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. 32 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 "For I came 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 HOUSEHOLD. 37 "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. 38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
Pretty scary huh! We either protect our earthly lives and loose eternal life or we loose our earthly lives and gain eternal life. So, why on earth does Matthew 10:31-39 start with "DO NOT F EAR?" One reason is that worry does not add a single day to our lives, Matthew 6:25. But, the more important reason is:
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
That's it!!!!! The weaker we are in Christ the stronger His power is in our lives and the more glory He receives.
Let's also not forget the phrase "I am with you" which appears eighteen times in the NASB95 version of the Holy Bible. Thirteen out of the eighteen occurrences are in the Old Testament. All thirteen are in the context of the command "do not fear." Thus, God is with us for the purpose of deliverance.
The very first time this phrase "I am with you" appears in the Gospels is at the moment right before Christ's ascension in Matthew 28:20. And, the context is exactly the same. Do not fear and go into the field to harvest and God will deliver you even from serpents, poisons and physical afflictions Mark 16:15-18; Matthew 10:7-8.
Remember the sons of God do what they see the Father doing, John 5:19 and that we are commanded to imitate His faith who has gone before us, Hebrews 13:7. This means that John 14:12 IS TRUE and we are commanded to do likewise as in Luke 7:18-23. So do not fear the enemy like Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14:7 because you have to be in the battle to be delivered from the enemy!
That is why our burden is light and it is easy to let others chop off our hands or gouge out our eyes. Our battle is not with flesh and blood but within the mind:
Ephesians 6:10-12
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
When we are weak, HE is strong because of 2 Chronicles 32:8 which is a promise for the sons of God. While God is delivering His sons of light from mortal enemies they get to lay on hands and do battle against our spiritual enemies. How LIGHT is that!!!!!! Pun intended.
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