Matthew 10:34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
This verse has always been slightly confusing to me. I have always been taught that Jesus came as the Prince of Peace and preached loving others and serving them. Yet in His own words, Jesus told the disciples that He did not come to bring peace, but rather He came to bring a sword. Huh? Let’s see what we can learn today.
In His words here, Jesus was not saying He came to start a war. He was not speaking of a literal sword. In fact, later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Peter used a sword to cut off the soldier’s ear, Jesus said that those who use the sword would die by it as well (Matthew 26:52). Instead, He was warning them that His arrival would cause some radical division in families and communities. People would be forced to choose between the world and their faith.
The sword was a metaphor Jesus used to explain the division that would arise when truth confronted falsehood. He was preparing the disciples for the persecution and rejection they would face when they went into the world to share the Gospel. Jesus did not mince words. He wanted them to understand that following Him forces people to make choices that often create friction between those who accept Him and those who reject Him. In some cases, that opposition would happen within families which went against everything ancient societies valued (Matthew 10:35-36).
The passage from which our verse was taken makes it clear – loyalty to Jesus was to take precedence over all other relationships and/or allegiances. That included everything from business to culture to country to family. And that allegiance to Jesus would cause spiritual friction and require people to make difficult choices.
But what we get is so much better than anything we could experience from the world. We become heirs to the Kingdom of God. We are adopted into the family of God and become His children. We are made new creations and our eternity is secured – forever with our Lord. Why would we want anything BUT that?
As we step into the day, prepare for battle. Know that your choice to follow Jesus is likely to cause division between you and unbelievers. Pray for those you clash with, those who reject you, mock you, or belittle you for your faith. Be a living testimony of God’s grace and love as you walk into the world today, regardless of their response to you.
Prayer: Lord, Prepare me to step out in faith and live a life pleasing to You in a world that rejects me because of my faith in You. I pray that my life preaches Your love and grace. Amen
Be the first to comment