Peace by the Sword

Matthew 10:34-39

Verse 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 is probably not one of the most popular verses from Jesus on peace.  Most people think that peace means the lack of weapons and yet Jesus clearly brought weapons into the conversation.  The sword we have in this battle is truth.  The truth is, Christ didn’t call us to be passive.  Passivity may lead to what seems like peace for a short while, but it doesn’t lead to lasting peace.  True lasting peace can only come from a lack of sin and that isn’t something we can expect in this life.

    In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that peacemakers are blessed (Matthew 5:9).  The fact that He used the word ‘peacemaker’ instead of ‘peacekeeper’ shows that He isn’t asking us to be passive.  While not passive, it isn’t aggressive either.  We also need to understand what we are keeping the peace about.  It isn’t about making sure everyone is in unity or that there is no tension.  No, this is about the truth of God’s peace.

    If we were to read this passage without the knowledge that Jesus had said to be peacemakers, it would have us thinking that His plan was to wreck families and destroy relationships.  Of course, we know that God designed us for relationship and so He wouldn’t be telling us that we should be ruining all our family connections.  But then why did Jesus say this?

    The peace of Christ is based on truth and that means not everyone will agree with us on what truth is.  While the truth of Christ doesn’t change, we live in a society which believes that truth is fluid.  Every family knows the disagreements that can arise if certain topics are brought up at a gathering.  One of those topics is religion and when we are bound to Christ as truth, there are those who will vehemently disagree with us.

    What Jesus wanted His followers to understand in this passage is that it is better to be divided from family than it is to be apart from the Lord.  It isn’t about not loving family, it is about loving God more.  His gift of peace is tied to our being in constant relationship with Him even if that doesn’t please those in our life that we love.

Making It Personal

    How has truth of Christ brought you peace?  Have you ever experienced a separation with a loved one due to your relationship with Jesus?  Did you feel peace even as you struggled with the tension with your loved one?

Making It Personal Kids

    Why is it more important to love Jesus than anyone else?  How could having friends and family that don’t love Jesus hurt your relationship with Him?  How can you make sure you are not drawing someone away from Jesus?

Closing Prayer

    Father, thank You for truth and the way You use it to bring peace into our hearts and lives.  Help us to recognize relationships that draw us away from You so we can distance ourselves from them.  In Jesus’ name, amen.