“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in law, a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. 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. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 10:34-39
Growing up as a teenager in the 1990s, I would often watch “The Simpsons.” Even though the brand of humor offered by this secular cartoon comedy was not everyone’s cup of tea, I believe there were important life lessons hidden in the crevices of every episode.
In the episode “Homer the Heretic,” one Sunday morning in the winter, Homer (Marge’s husband and the father of the show’s three children) decides to skip church because he feels it’s just too cold outside. While Marge and the children brave the elements and attend service in a freezing house of worship, Homer enjoys his morning home alone, snug and toasty, enjoying some of his favorite activities like watching T.V. and snacking.
He enjoys his morning so much that he declares he will no longer attend Sunday morning services with his family. I won’t go into the details of the remainder of the episode, but needless to say, this decision not only puts a strain on his family dynamics, but results in a series of unfortunate events that eventually lead him back to the Lord’s house.
At one point during the episode, when Homer is trying to convince Marge and the children to also skip church and stay home with him, Marge says, “Homer, please don’t make me choose between my man and my God, because you just won’t win.”
As an impressionable teenager, years away from meeting my future husband, that declaration always stood out to me.
There were many things Marge tolerated while being married to Homer. He was often selfish. He had a habit of getting into mischief, much like a child. He frequently made poor choices that impacted his family in chaotic (although, for the sake of a comedy show, humorous) ways.
But when it came to attending Sunday morning worship services, Marge would not be deterred. She continued to take her children to church week after week, despite Homer digging in his heels. If going to church was something Marge did merely out of obligation, surely missing several Sunday mornings to spend more time with her husband wouldn’t hurt? After all, Homer does a convincing job throughout the episode of making his newfound Sunday morning routine – complete with total relaxation, gooey breakfast concoctions, and watching the tube – look rather appealing.
But God came first for Marge.
The Bible provides us with many messages that emphasize the holiness and essentialness of marriage and family.
Exodos 20:12 states, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” When we are little, we are commanded to obey and respect the authority of our parents. We are to abide in their wisdom and follow their teachings. Once we become adults, we are still instructed to hold our parents in esteem.
Ephesians 6:4 states, “Parents, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.” Christian parents are charged with balancing wisdom, love, and consequences without losing their temper with their children. There is no place for abuse, neglect, harsh criticism, or humiliation under the roof of a household that follows the Lord.
Matthew 19:5 states, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” As critical as it is for children to honor their parents, the marriage union between a husband and wife supersedes the parent-child relationship. The marriage union is a metaphor for how Christ loves the Church – that He would lay His life down for her sake.
How then do we navigate Jesus’s declaration that if we love another person more than we love God, we are not worthy to be His follower?
Matthew 22:36-38 states, “’Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.’”
It all starts with God. He is the Creator of all things, including our human relationships. He is all-knowing and omnipotent. He sees the hidden things in dark places that we cannot see. He knows the secrets of the heart that we do not know. He desires us to live our lives to the fullest, and He desires to protect us from the dangers of the world.
When Jesus declares, “…I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father…” it does not imply that family members are to engage in violence for the sake of their faith. Rather, it prepares the followers of Christ to know that when we place God above all other things, it will drive a wedge between some relationships.
The sword that Matthew 10:34 refers to is not a sword of violence, but rather, a sword of division. The Greek term used for “sword” in this verse is “machairan,” which was a large knife often used by fisherman during Biblical times. The blades of these knives were used to separate different parts of meat. It is the same Greek term used in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword; it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Jesus’s message is that this “sword” will divide the people between those who submit to and follow Christ, and those who conform to and follow the ways of the world.
Even those we are closest to may willingly walk the wide road towards destruction. Even those we are closest to may mock and chide us for living according to the Word of God, and for rejecting the patterns of the world. Even those we are closest to may cause us to question the path God has us on, because they are speaking from a place of fear and failings.
Marge did not stop loving Homer. She simply let him know that his actions and beliefs would not dissuade her from worshipping her God.
Fictional cartoon character or not, may we all, as followers of Christ, find the conviction of Marge. No matter how sticky or complicated our human relationships may become, may we also have the courage to boldly declare that we are choosing God.
Tracy Huneycutt has been a member of the Journey Church family since 2020. She enjoys serving food on Breakfast Sundays, teaching Kindergarten-2nd grade JKids, and being a part of the Moms Group. Her family consists of her husband, John, her son, Reid, and her Labrador, Suki. Tracy writes blogs and social media content as a copywriter and freelance marketing agent. She is blessed to have additional opportunities to write, especially to share the love and wisdom of the Father.