Jesus likens the Apostles to the prophets who were mandated to speak God’s word, and not turn beholden to anybody. Jesus is a “sign that will be contradicted,” as prophesied by Simeon (Lk 2:34). He can be a cause of conflict and division even among members of the family. He brings not peace but the sword that cuts through conscience and affections. In the light of the divergence of outlook within the early Christian community, Matthew challenges his listeners to make a fundamental choice—to be part of Jesus’ followers or to be outside. To join in the “household” of Jesus is to listen to his words and put them into action. Jesus declares, “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Mt 12:50).

St. John Paul II writes in his encyclical Veritatis Splendor: “Jesus’ call to ‘come, follow me’ marks the greatest possible exaltation of human freedom... which can be described as involving a fundamental option… It is a question of the decision of faith, of the obedience of faith (cf. Rom 16:26) ‘by which man makes a total and free self-commitment to God, offering “the full submission of intellect and will to God as he reveals” ’ ” (VS, 66).

Have we faced a situation wherein we had to make a fundamental option—for the Lord, for the sake of our conscience? Or have we gone the easiest way in not committing ourselves?

A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his subjects, “Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing, more so than we ourselves! Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase; otherwise, in time of war they too may join our enemies to fight against us, and so leave our country.”

Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel to oppress them with forced labor. Thus they had to build for Pharaoh the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses. Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. The Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel and reduced them to cruel slavery, making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick and all kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves.

Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, “Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live.”

“Our help is in the name of the Lord.”

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the 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 one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“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; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 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. 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.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.