In verses 26 and 27 the King told His sent ones not to fear the persecutors, but rather to speak in the light and to preach on the housetops. In verse 28 He said, “And do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but fear rather Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” God is the only One who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. This word implies that if the apostles sent by the Lord fail in the suffering of persecution, they will be disciplined by God. This will transpire in the coming age, after the judgment at the judgment seat of Christ, when believers will receive reward or punishment (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 22:12).
In verses 32 and 33 the Lord said, “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I also will confess him before My Father Who is in the heavens; but whoever shall deny Me before men, I also will deny him before My Father Who is in the heavens.” This word was spoken by the heavenly King to His apostles who were sent by Him to preach the gospel of the kingdom. He foretold that they would be persecuted (vv. 17, 21-23). If anyone under persecution denies Him, He will deny him. This will transpire at His coming back (16:27). To be denied or confessed by Him at that time determines whether or not His apostles are worthy to enter the kingdom of the heavens in the coming age as a reward. Here the King seemed to be saying, “If you are afraid of this persecution and do not confess My name before the persecutors, I will not confess your name before the Father when I come back and the millennium begins.” This means that such a person will be put into the outer darkness (25:30) and will not participate in the manifestation of the kingdom.
In verse 34 the Lord Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” The whole earth is under Satan’s usurpation (1 John 5:19). The heavenly King came to call some out from his usurpation. This certainly aroused Satan’s opposition. Satan instigated the people under his usurpation to fight against the heavenly King’s called ones. Thus, the King’s coming did not bring peace, but a sword. In order for the kingdom of the heavens to be established, there must be a confrontation between the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of the world. These two kingdoms cannot co-exist. Because the heavenly King is establishing His kingdom on earth, warfare between these two kingdoms is inevitable.
In verses 35 and 36 the Lord said, “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; and a man’s enemies shall be those of his household.” The fighting instigated by the usurping Satan against the heavenly King’s called ones is waged even in their household. The heavenly called ones are attacked in their homes by their kindred who remain under the evil one’s usurping hand. When some are attracted and caught by the heavenly King and decide to follow Him, some in their family may be instigated by Satan to fight against them, even to kill them.
Let me tell you about a brother who was persecuted by his unbelieving wife. This man had an excellent job with the customs office of the government, and he was quite wealthy. After he was brought to the Lord, his wife began to persecute him. One night, this brother invited several of us to his home for dinner. Whenever her husband invited his colleagues from work to dinner, the wife was very happy and prepared the best food. But now as a believer her husband had invited some of the church people to their home. On the night he invited us, she purposely did not cook. Rather, she set cold leftovers on the table. The brother looked at us with tears in his eyes. We looked at him and said, “Praise the Lord! This dinner is delicious. Let us all eat.” Then we proceeded to eat all those leftovers. This was an example of his wife’s persecution.
Those sent by the Lord must realize that persecution awaits them. The Lord Jesus does not leave us in darkness. Rather, he makes the whole situation very clear. The Jewish nation is full of opposers, and even the relatives of the sent ones will rise up in opposition; they will even kill the followers of the heavenly King.