In many passages, the Gospels strike a delicate balance between recording the words of Jesus and applying those words to the lives of readers at the time the Gospel was written. It is a clear part of the Gospel record that Jesus issued many warnings to those who desired to follow him and to those whom he himself called to follow him. Sometimes, these warning were very gentle and poignant. It is easy to remember the words: "Foxes have lairs and the birds of the air have their nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head". The almost poetic quality of the words may in fact conceal the warning in them: do not think it is so easy to be a follower of Jesus!

In other instances, such as today's passage from St Matthew, the warnings are more direct, and even brutally clear, as if Jesus were taking special care to make sure everyone understood the warning and took it to heart. Matthew has recorded Jesus' words in such a way that his audience heard Jesus' clearly express warnings in terms that related to their own situation in the life of the Church, as they faced persecution from Jews and Gentiles alike.