32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.REFLECTIONSWritten by Annie DaviesIn Matthew 10, Jesus is sending out his disciples to share the good news about himself and the kingdom he was bringing (verse 7). Today’s verses are part of his instructions and teaching to his disciples as he sends them out.It strikes me here that how we treat Jesus is how we treat God the Father in heaven. If we acknowledge Jesus, then we will be in God’s kingdom in heaven. But if we reject Jesus, we are also rejected by God – since he is God’s Son. It reminds me of John 14:6 where Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. It is clear that it is only through Jesus that we know God and receive salvation.I also find it interesting that Jesus says this to his disciples, particularly as they were about to go out to share the good news about him in the face of persecution and opposition. Is it to show the weight of the message they are sharing, that it will have eternal consequences for those who hear? Or could it also be a warning for the disciples themselves – and for us as well – not to disown Jesus even if we suffer?Are there times when you are tempted to disown Jesus? For me it’s hard when my non-Christian parents disapprove of what I am doing in serving at church. Or when my friends are successful in their careers and I feel I have nothing much to show for my work. But I am reminded and thankful that Jesus came to die for our sins and has been raised to life. Through Jesus we can now call the God who created us our Father! What an amazing blessing and comfort! This helps me to persevere as a Christian and praise God that we can know him through Jesus.QUESTIONHave people ever treated you badly because you follow Jesus? What will help you to keep telling people you follow him?ABOUT THE AUTHORAnnie is a member at our Fairfield Evening congregation.