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36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.[a]

37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy[b] 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[c] and follow me is not worthy of me.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:36 tn Matt 10:35-36 are an allusion to Mic 7:6.
  2. Matthew 10:37 tn Here “worthy” (ἄξιος, axios) means “does not deserve to belong to me” (BDAG 94 s.v. 2.a), i.e., “is not worthy to be my disciple” (cf. Luke 14:26) or perhaps “is not worthy to participate in the kingdom” (to be undeserving of Jesus is to be undeserving of the kingdom he brings).sn The statement demands uncompromising, radical loyalty to Jesus, a loyalty so powerful that it surpasses normal human relationships, even familial ones.
  3. Matthew 10:38 sn According to Plutarch, “Every criminal who is executed carries his own cross” (De sera numinus vindicta 9.554b). Jesus is speaking figuratively here in the context of rejection. If one’s allegiance to Jesus does not have absolute priority, then one will not follow him in the face of possible rejection and persecution.

36     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[a](A)

37 “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.(B) 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:36 Micah 7:6