Joseph had welcomed his family into Egypt to escape the famine. They survived and life was manageable. Years after Joseph died, there was a new king of Egypt who hadn't known him. The king was concerned because the Israelite population was increasing so much that it was becoming larger than the Egyptian population. Therefore, to control the Israelites, the king imposed hard labour and began to oppress them. The Israelites were forced into slave labour, building cities for the king. However, the Israelite population continued to grow and the Egyptians grew afraid of them. We see this fear of other people today along with the violence that goes with it. The eruption of wicked genocide is one tragic evil decision by tyrants.

Jesus was speaking with His disciples and warning them that following Him would not be easy. He admitted that His teachings would cause divisions within families. To be a follower of Jesus would mean that Jesus would need to be first in their lives. His teachings would be challenging but rewarding - following Jesus would bring genuine freedom. Welcoming a disciple of Jesus meant welcoming Jesus and that meant welcoming God the Father. In today's world, this still applies to us for truly following the teachings of Jesus can be very challenging as our relationships with others may suffer but we receive the reward of the presence of Christ in our lives. Christ welcomes us, first.