Exodus 32 records the episode where the Israelites rebelled against God by building the golden calf and worshipping it. When Moses returned from Mt Sinai, he broke the newly-received 10 Commandments in fury and ground the calf to dust. The Bible describes the Israelites as having "broken loose" or running wild in their idolatrous reverie.
In the chaos, Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and called for anyone on the LORD's side to come to him. Only the Levites came to him. Read what he told them to do:
27And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.'" 28And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29And Moses said, "Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day." Exodus 32:27-29
That day, the Levites proved their faithfulness to God by valuing him more than earthly relations. They were willing to slay their sons and brothers, their loved ones, who were worshipping the calf instead of God. For their zeal in preserving his honour, God blessed them, for they loved him more than anything else.
Read what Jesus says in Matthew that seems to echo the acts of the Levites in Exodus:
34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 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. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 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. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10-34-39
The Levites experienced this first-hand. For God, they were indeed "set against" their fathers, mothers and their own household. They literally drew their swords against their loved ones for the sake of God.
This brings us to ask: will we be able to do as the Levites did? What will I kill for Christ? Will I kill my willful sin? Or desires that have taken his place in my lives? Even myself?
May God give us the grace and strength to lose our lives and the lives of our loved ones for his sake.
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