Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
Jesus speaks plainly about the demands of discipleship. Love for Him must come before every other love. Even the love of father, mother, son, or daughter must be placed under love for Christ (v. 37). This does not make family love less important. Family love remains good and holy, and our responsibilities toward family remain real. But Christ must be loved above all else not only because He is Lord, but also because through love of Him we learn how to love father, mother, son, daughter, and neighbor rightly.
Jesus then speaks of taking up the cross and following after Him (v. 38). In the time of Jesus, the cross was a sign of shame, suffering, and death. It was used by the Romans as a cruel form of execution for offenders who were not Roman citizens. Jesus uses this image to teach that discipleship requires self-denial, fidelity, and willingness to suffer for Him. The disciple follows Jesus by remaining faithful to Him even when that faithfulness brings rejection, hardship, or loss.
The words about finding and losing life can sound like a riddle, but Jesus is teaching about two kinds of life: earthly life that can be protected for a time, and eternal life that is found only in Him (v. 39). Earthly life can include our safety, comfort, reputation, possessions, plans, and even our physical life. A person who tries to preserve these things apart from Christ loses the life that lasts forever. A person who gives up earthly security, comfort, reputation, or even life itself for Christ’s sake finds true life with God.
The passage then turns from the cost of following Christ to the dignity of those He sends. Jesus tells His disciples, “Whoever receives you receives me” (v. 40). A disciple sent by Christ carries His mission. To welcome such a disciple because he belongs to Christ is to welcome Christ Himself. Since the Father sent the Son, receiving Christ also means receiving the Father who sent Him.
Jesus then speaks of receiving a prophet, a righteous man, and one of His little ones (vv. 41-42). A prophet is one who speaks in the name of God. A righteous person is one who lives faithfully before God. The “little ones” are humble disciples who belong to Christ and depend on the help of others. Jesus shows that even ordinary acts of hospitality have eternal meaning when they are done because a person belongs to Him.
The cup of cold water is a simple act (v. 42). It is small enough that even a poor person could offer it. Yet Jesus says it will not lose its reward. This teaches that God sees acts of charity that may seem hidden or unimportant to others. When they are done for Christ and for those who belong to Him, they share in His mission.
This passage calls the disciple to place Christ first, to follow Him with courage, and to honor those who serve Him. It also gives quiet encouragement: the Lord sees every sacrifice made for His sake and every act of kindness offered to His disciples.
Lord Jesus Christ, help me to love You above all else, to follow You faithfully, and to receive those who belong to You with charity and humility. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Matthew 10:37-42 and notes on Matthew 10:38-41.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Pages 24-25, notes on Matthew 10:38 and 10:42.
- Casciaro, José María, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Page 83, note on Matthew 10:37-42.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Page 652, paragraphs 71-72.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, Richard J. Clifford, Carol J. Dempsey, Eileen M. Schuller, Thomas D. Stegman, and Ronald D. Witherup, eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Page 929.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, with a Foreword by Pope Francis. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2022. Pages 1193-1194.
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