Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

- The cost of following Jesus is high. As Christ sends the disciples out on mission, He plainly explains what they need to give up in order to follow Him. To follow Christ, you must put Him before everything else in your life: you must love Christ more than your family; you must love Christ more than your own life. This is not an easy teaching to accept, but putting Christ first gives us an eternal perspective. Following Jesus leads us to abundant and eternal life, and though it is difficult and sometimes painful to let go of the things of this world, He is worth it.

Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's rewards, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.

- Jesus identifies Himself with His church. When Jesus encounters Saul on the road to Damascus, He does not ask, "Why do you persecute the church?" In a similar way, Jesus is saying here that every good deed done for the disciples is also done for Him. This is an amazing reality that reveals the closeness of His relationship with His disciples. When the disciples gave their lives to Jesus, they became His representatives and direct extensions of Christ and the Father. And the same is true for you and me today. As His disciples, we also have the great privilege of representing Christ in this world.