Matthew 10:24-39
June 21, 2026
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, Oakland, CA
Preaching on these Hallmark Cards holidays on the calendar is often treated as “not again!” On Mother’s Day, whatever negative thoughts we may have had are beautified by a red carnation. But on Father’s Day, we are more apt to look away and wish for a distraction. What does Father’s Day look like for you?
If I may take a moment without engaging in public self-therapy from the pulpit, my father didn’t just spank me when I played hooky from Chinese school as I confessed a few weeks ago. He joined the US Army during WWII and earned his citizenship to bring my mother to America. He was a reliable wage earner that provided a roof over our heads. He took my brothers and me to Fenway Park and I have been a Red Sox fan ever since.
But my father also smoked cigarettes, a bad habit from being in the army. He played numbers both the Canadian lottery and Chinese Fa-Fi hoping to win big. I often found his losing tickets in the dresser drawer where I get my milk money before school.
My father also passed when I was in high school that in retrospect redirected my life journey. My father with little English and probably in consultation with his friends, also first-generation Chinese men, was encouraging me to become an electrical engineer. Being an engineer didn’t require a proficiency in English, only math. I thought I was heading to Northeastern in Boston!
When the dominant male figure in my life was no longer present, the involvement I had at First Baptist, Boston filled the void. I became very active; went to a Christian college and even when I was thinking that I might go into psychology, I answered the call to Christian ministry. I went to seminary and that is the beginning of the rest of my story!
Difficult Passages
The Scriptures for today are some of the most difficult ones to understand. In verses 35-37, we read conflicts that are settled in People’s Court! “For I have come to set a man against his father.” Even after my father spanked me for playing hooky, I didn’t hate him but I was afraid of him. But in my story, in my father’s absence from my life, I became obedient to God made evident in Christ and followed the teachings in the Gospel.
Unlike some interpreters of these difficult passages to create family disunity and conflict or to justify tearing families apart, Jesus is actually addressing the faithful who seek to live a Christian faith while facing conflict and discouragement. They were facing the threat of physical well-being because of their answering the gospel calling.
Sent on a mission of preaching and healing, the disciples have quickly learned what it means to face opposition and struggle. The cozy days of breaking bread with Jesus on the lake seems far distant when in response to the good news of the Gospel are rewarded with persecution.
In this difficult setting, Matthew is declaring that in spite of all the trials of this life, even in times of fear, the gospel will be true. The church will persevere. From this perspective when individual disciples like you and me are to choose to whom we will be obedient to follow, even in the matter of family, we would choose the gospel. The family must be of less concern than the overarching importance of proclaiming God’s word. This is, indeed, a hard pill to swallow!
The point Jesus is making here is that in individual lives, in our family structures, and the whole of society will thrive when the gospel’s good news is heard and embraced. Until that time, we need not fear those who will destroy the body, for they cannot harm the soul. No death, nor the death of a person or even a sparrow, occurs would ever derail God’s will.
Jesus is asking the faithful to keep going because of our love for him and because, in the end, it will be real and the everlasting life that we seek, we will find. I hope that this explanation of these difficult passages is now better understood by you.
Obedience
After I was spanked for playing hooky, I never missed a class again. My obedience to my father’s wishes meant that I had responsibilities. I won’t played hooky even when the class was boring!
The definition of a disciple is to be a learner. A disciple of Jesus is one who first listens closely to the teachings of Jesus and then decides on the appropriate responses. This response is found in discipleship that summons us to develop our capacity for learning and growing in the faith. For me discerning obedience with my eyes wide open, I became a conscientious objector against all wars during Vietnam even when my father served in the US Army in WWII.
Discerning obedience with my eyes wide open, I became a minister knowing that I would be economically better off if I had become an electrical engineer.
Discerning obedience with my eyes open and with Joy’s eyes wide open, we left our children and family in the East Coast for me to become pastor at First Chinese. And if I may say, with my eyes wide open discerning obedience, I answered the call to become your interim pastor.
The pastor theologian Tom Long wrote that when disciples are facing the difficult decision that may even cause family turmoil to be obedient to the gospel, he offers 4 things that may be present. First, the Holy Spirit will surely be present and will never abandon us. Secondly, we will come to recognize that our suffering is not wasted, but is a testimony to faith. Third, even in the midst of our hardships, we will know that nothing can eradicate the gospel or destroy God’s loving and watchful care over the faithful. Finally, while family disruption will surely take place, Jesus is not against the family. Rather, there will be times when allegiance to Jesus causes a crisis of loyalty and forces a decision.
The gospel shakes up values, rearranges priorities, and reorient goals. When we pledge our allegiance to Jesus, our lives are made free, holy, and good.
Responsibilities
The other section of this passage is verse 34, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jesus turns down the role of a predictable do-gooder.
The demands of the prince of true peace may very well feel like a sword cutting through the worldly loyalties we have or cutting away the commonsense morality we keep. If Jesus was the nice guy whom we imagined, then why didn’t he stay out of trouble? He incited people to call him a demon rather than the prince of peace (v. 25). He said following him will wreck families. And how did he end up on the cross with two thieves?
The answer is not that his opponents had strange and unsettling ideas, but Jesus did. Contrary to popular opinions, not everything followers of Jesus need to know can be learned in kindergarten. Doing the work of God’s realm is more controversial and subversive than conventional kindness. If the teacher is subversive, how much more might the student be?
The question for us at Lakeshore is this: If Jesus is subversive, how much more might we be? We know that just being controversial is no true sign of faithfulness. We know that when the church manages to glide through life without ever rubbing anyone the wrong way may think that that’s faithfulness. Instead, true discipleship is seeking the kingdom of God with single-minded determination and letting the chips fall where they may be.
This is the true discipleship that Jesus is teaching his disciples and to us today that cuts through the excuses that we may have to follow him. In obedience to Christ, our responsibilities will undoubtedly create conflicts in our lives.
It did for me when I became a CO against all wars. If my father was still alive when I was in high school, we probably would have had conflicts when he wanted me to have a good income earning job especially when he was only able to iron shirts and wait on tables, and relying on the chance of winning the lottery.
Being Afraid
These are hard situations that often lead to fear. For me, if I were to follow my conscience and faith, I would have dodged the military draft and fled to Canada. If I were to obey my draft board, I would have found myself conflicted over taking another life and particularly, someone who looked like me. I was afraid and we made plans to go to Canada if that were to come to pass.
This passage also talked about being afraid and not being afraid. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.” When we answer the call to discipleship, we would have nothing to be afraid about. We will not perish eternally. See how God watches over the sparrow when we are so much more significant than the sparrow.
But we are also to be afraid because the true meaning of life is to follow Jesus. He said, “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven, but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven (v.32). Our proper fear of God is that the God who attends to the fate of the sparrow and numbers the hairs of our heads, is concern for our lives.
And at the same time, God is calling us to absolutely give allegiance to Jesus and his kingdom message on earth as it is already in heaven. We are called to do what Jesus did. Our proper fear of God is manifested in the world in our fearlessness as disciples.
Father’s Day 2026
While my own father spanked me for playing hooky, he also took me to Fenway Park where he bought me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. While our Father God may have called you to follow Jesus in the midst of family loyalties, country loyalties, faith loyalties, job loyalties, and others, this is the same God who loves you as God attends to the sparrow and knows how many hairs are still on your head! For me fewer every year!
Happy Father’s Day to all who are faithful today, in life, and remain faithful beyond this life in heaven.
Let us pray.
Dear God, our Father, our Mother, our Creator of all creation, both in life as well as in death, we praise you for your grace and love in our lives. Lead us to obey your calling and enable us to take the responsibility of discipleship to proclaim the Good News of Christ Jesus in the world. May we who give sacrificially to you also receive abundance in life. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
Benediction
Christ has called you as disciples.
Learn from him to serve without fear.
May God’s love be your first awareness each day.
Let that love flow through your everyday activity. Amen. Go in peace.