<p>10:25&nbsp;<em>It is enough-&nbsp;</em>As explained on :24, the Lord may be teaching that the apostles were not to eagerly choose a martyr's death- that was for Him, not them. It was enough for them that they shared in His sufferings by being slandered as He was.</p>
<p><i><em>For the disciple that he be as his Master</em></i>- See on :24.</p>
<p><em>If they have called the Master of the house-</em>&nbsp;The head of household. A term often used by the Lord in His parables. And yet He implies that this role is to be functionally aspired to by us. Those instructed in the things of the Kingdom are like a 'master of the house' (Mt. 13:52), and as the household's master would watch for the thief coming, so&nbsp;<em>we&nbsp;</em>are to fulfil His function and watch (Mt. 24:43,44).&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Beelzebub</em>- 'Beelzebub' has various possible meanings, but one of them is 'Lord of the house'. By using this term, the Lord's critics were implying He did in fact have a household over whom He was Master and Lord. The Lord is saying that He is the head of the family, the household, and the disciples are His&nbsp;<em>oikiakos</em>, His relatives, His family (&quot;them of His household&quot;). This idea of disciples being part of a new family based around their teacher, with them all thereby becoming brothers and sisters, was unheard of in the various schools of the Rabbis. A Rabbi had disciples, but the imagery of family was not used. The family unit was exalted as supreme in importance, and could not be emulated in other contexts. The Lord is teaching that the bonds between Him and His followers were so strong that they were indeed a new family, of more importance and significance than the natural family, which no longer claimed first loyalty in the lives, feelings and self-perceptions of His followers. Even today, this is a radical challenge- for so many turn back from full discipleship because of placing loyalty to family above loyalty to Christ. The reasoning is that what we do for family is done for Christ, and family must come first. But time and again the Lord's teaching is that our spiritual family are to come&nbsp;<em>before</em>&nbsp;our natural family. So many divisions and dysfunctions within the Lord's body are caused by those who name His Name insisting on putting their family unity before the unity of&nbsp;<em>His</em>&nbsp;family. We can't fellowship&nbsp;<em>them</em>&nbsp;because if we do, then uncle Tommy won't fellowship&nbsp;<em>us</em>... and so the selfish destruction of the Lord's body continues by those who love themselves more than their Lord.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>How much more them of his household!-&nbsp;</em>At first blush, this may seem strange. Usually the charismatic, visible leader attracts more slander than his individual supporters. But we see here the Lord's sensitivity to every individual experience of slander for His sake- for He presumably means 'The&nbsp;sum total of all the suffering of My preachers down the centuries until I return will be far more than what I personally shall suffer from the Jews'. We see here His loveliness- His grace, His generosity of spirit, His sensitivity to all we suffer for Him.</p>
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