Matthew 10:34–36 — "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 a 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.’"
Matthew 10:37 — "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."
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If you’ve never read or heard these verses before, it can be a challenging one to understand. Honestly, even after reading it many times, it can still feel difficult. But at its core, it comes down to eternal life and the priorities of our heart.
Jesus is not telling us to stop loving our family. In fact, the Bible commands us to love and care for them. What He is saying is that even our deepest love for family cannot come before our love and loyalty to Him. Loving your family with all your heart does not secure your place in heaven — only a surrendered relationship with Jesus does.
As it is written, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. When Christ comes first in our lives, everything else — including our family relationships — will fall into its proper place. This is about eternal priorities. If we put Jesus above all else, we gain eternity in heaven, and from that position, we can love our family with a pure, godly love that points them toward Him.
1. The Call to Put Christ First
Matthew 10:37 is not a command to stop loving our families. Instead, it is a clear call from Jesus that our love and loyalty to Him must outrank every other relationship. If following Christ causes tension with our loved ones, our allegiance to Him must still come first.
2. Why This Verse Matters in the End Times
In Matthew 10:34–36, Jesus warns that His message will sometimes divide households. This is echoed in Matthew 24:9–10, where He says that betrayal, even among family, will increase in the last days. As the Antichrist's system rises (Revelation 13), loyalty to Christ will directly conflict with loyalty to family members who follow the world’s system.
Some family members may pressure believers to take the mark of the beast or compromise their faith “for safety” or “for the sake of the family.” This is where Matthew 10:37 becomes the dividing line — will we choose Christ or the demands of those we love?
3. Preparing Now
- Strengthen your relationship with Christ daily through prayer and Scripture so your faith is rooted deeper than any earthly tie. - Ask God for the courage to stand firm even if pressured by those closest to you. - Teach your family now about the coming deception so they will be less likely to be swayed. - Remember that loving Christ first does not weaken family love — it purifies and strengthens it by aligning it with God’s will.
4. Final Encouragement
Matthew 10:37 is more than a personal discipleship verse — it is an end-time survival command. The closer we get to Christ’s return, the more we will face choices that pit loyalty to Him against loyalty to those we love. Choosing Jesus above all else is not betrayal of family — it is the highest act of love, because it points them toward eternal life.
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