THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
When He spoke of the authority granted to them, He also referred to disasters and violence. He declared, ‘Brother will betray his brother to death, and father his son; and the children will rise up against their parents and kill them,’ and He did not stop there but added a more dreadful prediction that could shake even the hardest hearts: you will be hated by all. Yet, He immediately provided comfort as well: He mentioned that these trials would be for His name's sake; and He offered another reassurance: but he who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22). The words of Christ stirred courage in the apostles by implying that their proclamation would ignite such power that it would transcend natural bonds, rejecting family ties, with their message triumphing over all.
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If familial allegiance cannot withstand their preaching but is instead subverted, what could possibly overcome you? Nevertheless, even amid this, you will not dwell in comfort; on the contrary, all those living in the world will become your adversaries and opponents.
How can anyone have faith in our message when they witness parents turning against their children, brothers turning against brothers, and the world engulfed in violence? Will they not see us as wicked spirits, as disruptors of the universe, filling the earth with the blood of kin? We would bring a message of peace into households only to witness it turn into a scene of carnage! Even if we were numerous and not just twelve; if we were not uneducated and simple, but wise orators, and even better, if we were kings with armies and wealth, how could we possibly persuade anyone amidst such deadly conflict, especially one worse than civil war? If we abandon our own salvation, who would heed us? Yet the apostles neither questioned nor expressed doubt; they didn’t seek rationales or justifications for such commands; they simply acquiesced and submitted. This reflected not only their virtue but also the wisdom of their Master. Observe how He pairs every hardship with a suitable consolation! Regarding those who would not accept the message, He declared, ‘It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city’ (Matthew 10:15); and when stating, ‘You will be brought before governors and kings,’ He continued, ‘For My sake, as a witness to them and to the Gentiles.’ To suffer for Christ and endure reproach from the nations is no small comfort. God is at work in every place, even when unnoticed. This assurance brought them comfort, not from a desire for revenge, but from the certainty that He who foresaw and foretold these adversities would be with them, ensuring that they would not encounter these trials as wrongdoers.
He prophesied for three key reasons: first, that we might recognize His power, verifying that He is the true God who sees ahead into what has not yet occurred; indeed, for this purpose He foretold the future, listen as He states: ‘And behold, I have told you of these things before they come to pass, that ye might believe, when they come to pass,’ that it is I (John 14:29). Second, to prevent His adversaries from claiming that His silence indicated ignorance or weakness; He who foreknew could have intervened but chose not to, so the glory of the rewards would shine brighter, hence He prophesied these events. Third, what is this purpose? It is to ease the burden on those who are tested in difficult circumstances, for unforeseen misfortunes can seem overwhelming, while those anticipated and prepared for are manageable and comforting. Thus, in obeying such commands, the enemies exposed their cruelty and inadvertently validated Christ’s prophecy; familial betrayal became evident as brothers turned against brothers and fathers against children; nature itself turned on itself, kinship fractured, all moral foundations were overturned, and confusion and disorder prevailed, with malevolent forces filling homes with the blood of relatives. The father who betrayed his son, though he may not have struck the fatal blow himself, committed murder in his intent, for whoever hands over to the executioner the one who is to be killed is, in essence, guilty of killing.