38
Andκαὶwhoeverὃςdoes notοὐtakeλαμβάνειhisαὐτοῦcrossτὸν σταυρὸνandκαὶfollowἀκολουθεῖafterὀπίσωmeμουisἔστινnotοὐκworthyἄξιοςof me.μου
Matthew 10:38
Study it in the app“And whoever does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”
With the Greek beneath
Matthew 10:38, word by word
- takeλαμβάνειlambanei
take
To grasp something in the hand, or take it from someone.
Where else “lambanei” appears- crossσταυρὸνstauron
carry the cross
"Take up the cross": follow Christ, ready to die.
Where else “stauron” appears- followἀκολουθεῖakolouthei
follow as disciple
To leave everything to go with Jesus as a disciple.
Where else “akolouthei” appears- afterὀπίσωopisō
follow after
To walk behind someone, follow them.
Where else “opisō” appears- isἔστινestin
be
To be: says who or what something is.
Where else “estin” appears- worthyἄξιοςaxios
worthy
That has earned something good.
Where else “axios” appears
Translation note
The cross was the Roman punishment for slaves and rebels; the condemned man carried his beam to the place of execution.
Parallel passages
Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.
Not peace, but a sword
A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.
See them side by side
Matthew 10:34-39
34Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36and a person’s enemies will be the members of his household. 37The one who holds father or mother dearer than me is not worthy of me; and the one who holds son or daughter dearer than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life for my sake will find it.
51Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52For from now on there will be five in one house divided, three against two and two against three; 53they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against the mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law.”
26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even his own life as well, he cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
The context
37The one who holds father or mother dearer than me is not worthy of me; and the one who holds son or daughter dearer than me is not worthy of me.
38 · This verse (above)
39The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life for my sake will find it.
To study Matthew 10 in a group
1. What it says
What instructions did Jesus give the twelve when he sent them out (vv. 7–10)?
2. What it means
Why does Jesus say not to be afraid, even while he announces that there will be opposition (vv. 26–31)?
3. How I live it
Jesus says whoever gives a cup of cold water will not lose their reward (v. 42). Whom can you serve this way today?