Gospel Reading
Matthew 10:34 – 11:1
NRSV
‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own 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 the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’ Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and proclaim his message in their cities.’
Some passages of scripture strike us immediately with their sharp edges. The Gospel reading in Matthew 10 is one of them. On the surface, Jesus’ words about setting a man against his father or daughter against her mother appear to divide families and communities. Taken literally, the text seems to encourage separation rather than unity.
Yet when I read this passage through the lived experience of gratitude, something different emerges.
Gratitude does not deny that divisions exist. Human beings have always struggled to agree — in families, in communities, and across nations. Present warfare shows us how deeply these fractures can run. Even in Jesus’ own time, his message was seen as disruptive within his community and the broader Jewish world. Whenever someone sees life differently, tension naturally follows.
But gratitude changes how we meet these tensions.
Living with gratitude does not create division; it simply reveals where division already lies. When we approach life with openness, appreciation, and a willingness to see beyond our own perspective, the contrast with fear-based or rigid ways of living becomes visible. This visibility can look like division, but it is not intended to divide. Gratitude softens the impact of disagreement. It helps us navigate differences without escalating them. It grounds us in unity rather than tribalism.
This is why literal interpretation of scripture can be risky. When words are taken without context or without spirit, they can be used to justify separation, conflict, or exclusion. Gratitude, however, keeps us centred on life, love, and presence rather than ideology. It reminds us that we are not here to create divisions based on one man’s preaching or the values of a particular institution. We are here to honour life.
Gratitude becomes a guiding light. It clarifies rather than confuses. It heals rather than divides. It does not demand agreement — it invites understanding. When we place our love of life at the centre of everything, we begin to see what Jesus may have been pointing toward: a deeper loyalty to the essence of our existence, to the sacredness of life itself.
To love your life is to love everyone and everything within it. It is to give thanks regardless of circumstances, regardless of divisions, regardless of the opinions of others. Gratitude does not erase differences, but it transforms how we walk through them. It allows us to meet the world with compassion rather than conflict.
This is the lens through which I read this striking passage — not to reconcile every word, but to honour the deeper movement toward unity, understanding, and love.