I DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE BUT A SWORD
Matthew 10:34 Do not think (nomidzo – assume) that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household… He who loves them more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life (psyche – soul) will lose it, and he who loses his life (soul) for My sake will find it.
There appear to be two paradoxes here.
One is that Jesus the ‘prince of Peace‘ comes with a sword
The other is that if we try to save our soul, we lose it.
In the first paradox there are two kinds of peace and two kinds of sword.
In the second paradox there are two kinds of soul – the self-serving soul and the self-surrendered soul. In the middle is – take up your cross and follow me
The two kinds of peace.
The peace of the world of wrong allegiances. (Peace-eirene- to be at one with).
The true peace of our allegiance to Jesus and being at one with him and each other.
The two swords.
The first is the more external sword of truth that divides between our right and wrong religious, social, and political allegiances.
The second sword is the word of truth that divides between soul and spirit in our inner lives as seen in Hebrews 4:12. I will come to that later.
But Jesus here in Matthew is directly quoting Micah Chapter 7, where the people were forming wrong allegiances with ungodly nations and taking on a false identity and not their Godly identity as his people. He is talking about the first kind of peace and the first kind of sword, that involved both religious and political allegiance.
Paul spoke about the religious Jews who resisted the sword of the word of truth about the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought to them. Romans 2:23. You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonour God through breaking the law? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles (nations) because of you,”
They misunderstood the Kingdom of God as being external and of political power and not of the inner spiritual power of God in Christ.
But Jesus doesn’t bring division – he brings a sword of truth – allegiances bring division.
The same thing is happening even in Christianity on a global scale today where that sword is out there in the public square – in social interaction, social media, and the internet. There have never been so many identity-driven allegiances competing with such hostility regarding cultural ideology and political power. The cross represents the death of any socially protected identity agendas.
AND
Politicians and the media and other influencers have redefined antisemitism in so many ways in the US that more and more evangelical Christians there are becoming divided concerning alliance or non-alliance to the State of Israel, but they don’t seem to fully understand what they are divided over despite the many prophetic Scriptures that deal with Israel. This is especially relevant in the current conflict between The US and Iran on this very day, that profoundly implicates Israel, and these lines of division are growing and the hostile division deeply concerns me BUT that’s what the sword is about…
Only the sword that Jesus brings will shed light and truth on all of that in due time – God has the last Word. The problem with Christians having so many irons in the fire in this, is that there is more heat than light. We should be the bearers of light rather than heat. So stay in prayer. It is more volatile in America and Europe than in Australia, but the same principles apply here in the general global and domestic issues – and our voter polls are scattering in all directions like never before.
But Scripture tells us how to respond as both citizens and Christians in two Godly ways.
The first way is that we are urged to pray for our leaders.
1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The other way is the perfect way of loving our neighbour. In the parable of the good Samaritan Jesus admonishes the Jewish people about not having love or even care for their Samaritan neighbours because of their religious and political tribalism. Jesus also said But love your enemies, and do good to them, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. So be merciful, even as your Father is merciful (Luke 7:35).
Even if I left the discussion there, we would have some worthwhile aspirations to faithfully attend to with a sense of purpose and reality. But it cannot be left there. The sword goes deeper than political, social, and family allegiances.
THE SECOND SWORD AND THE SECOND PEACE SINCE JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN
There is the second sword that Jesus brought – not just about the outward world of earthly Kingdoms but the sword that divides our inner spiritual world between our soul and our spirit. Without this second inner work we cannot attend faithfully to those other instructions about praying for leaders and loving our neighbours.
The second sword is the logos word of God that divides between our soul and our spirit.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
That refers to the final words of the opening Scripture that Jesus uses to summarise his statement regarding coming with a sword.
He who finds his life (psyche – the soul formed by survival strategies) will lose it, and he who loses his life (the soul formed by survival strategies) for My sake will find it (They find the soul formed by a spiritual renewal of the mind and heart in Christ).
Now the paradox makes sense. The healing and salvation of the soul requires the second sword of re-allegiance. The sword exposes what in the soul is not aligned with the Spirit.
And that sword brings the second Peace (Eirene – at one with) our oneness with God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit
To become brothers and sisters living at peace with another in the Church, the Body of Christ, that second sword should cut within us before divisions try to cut between us.
Ephesians 4:1 I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Paul wrote a message to the church at Rome about how to live in the bonds of peace with an amazing freedom of an uncompromising faith. But this freedom came with loving acceptance of people who had different ideas about how to honour God in the way that they served him. Some observed legalistic religious rules that narrowed their freedom in serving God. Paul said that the criteria we were to abide by was the other person’s sincere heart to honour God in how they served or worshipped him.
Romans 14:1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord… 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9
10 Why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
13let us stop judging on one another. And also do not put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 15 If your brother or sister stumbles because of what you do you are no longer acting in love.
The apostle John declared that this would be the true sign or witness that God was living
within us through Jesus and he Holy Spirit.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
