NOT PEACE BUT A SWORD
While one of the themes of Jesus’ message was that of peace, he also made a statement that appears to be quite contradictory to his message of peace.
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34)
We begin to understand this statement by recognizing that making peace at any cost is not the primary intention of Christ’s message. While followers of Christ are encouraged to be peacemakers and forgive others by quietly enduring suffering and persecution, making peace in the world and among men is not an ideal by itself that has to pursued at any cost. In fact peace is primarily an inner state of mind, wherein you are able to face challenging situations and experience the peace of God that passeth all understanding. By forgiving others and enduring through pain, peace becomes an inner reality that connects one to God in a powerful fashion. And this connection ensures that the external circumstances need not necessarily reflect the inner state of calm that comes to pervade a disciple’s life.
Jesus explains his statement further,
For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew10: 35-38)
When a person decides to follow Christ, it necessarily puts him or her in a direction that is diametrically opposite to that of the world, which is steeped in traditions that reject God. The collective aim of the people in this world is to be counted worthy in the eyes of others who collectively follow a path of rejection of God and one of embracing materialism, self-gratification and self-aggrandizement. When a disciple chooses to instead reject these pursuits and espouse godly and eternal principles, he becomes an object of condemnation. And when his closed relatives turn against him, he needs to decide what is more important.
The consequence is conflict and every one who chooses to be a disciple experiences ostracism in some form from his family and friends. Jesus makes it clear that one who chooses to follow Christ must understand that unless following Christ supersedes other established value-systems of the world, you cannot be worthy of being a disciple. Outer peace is not a given when one chooses to follow Christ though inner peace is a precious reality for a disciple.
