Does Jesus come to bring, not peace, but a sword? According to Matthew 10 this is exactly what he says:
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
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.’
Of course, Jesus is not speaking of a physical sword—a weapon; he is talking about a metaphorical sword of division. But why would Jesus do this? Why would he create strife and division within families? Why would he tear them apart? Why would he cause all this hurt and suffering?
Why? What purpose does it serve?
If there is any solid evidence that Jesus was violent, this is it. And because of Jesus’ statement here many believe Jesus did have a violent side, and some conclude that we who follow Jesus should also exhibit violence at certain times.
But I think they are mistaken, just as they are mistaken to assume Jesus’ violence in the cleansing of the temple.
Why Following Jesus is Sometimes Divisive to Families (and Friends)
Jesus does not come with the purpose and intention to divide families, but it can happen when we accept Jesus’ message of the good news of the kingdom of God. Identifying with the kingdom often involves abandoning old values and priorities. It often replaces old belief systems and old ways of seeing the world.
Following Jesus can conflict with family traditions, and this is sometimes taken as disloyalty.
Even though Jesus does not require us to give up our families, cultures, or groups, sometimes his teachings conflict with elements within those structures. And in those cases our first allegiance is to Jesus and the kingdom. We must sometimes choose the way of Jesus over the expectations, desires, and demands of our family; so families sometimes reject us for leaving family beliefs or culture behind.
This can cause real problems:
- Condemnation for not following customs or heritage
- Strained or broken relationships
- Rejection, ostracization, or expulsion from the group
- Severe punishment or death
This division is not Jesus’ objective but results from conflict between his teaching and old customs and traditions. I am sure you can think of specific situations where this applies. But Jesus does not wish these conflicts to occur; he only points out that they sometimes will. Sometimes, the new believer has a positive impact on their family and brings them to Jesus, but this is not always the case.
What if Our Family are Christians Who Believe Differently?
Sometimes the family or culture that rejects us is not of another religion. Even if our family is Christian, division can occur when we follow Jesus and the kingdom. Christians can have very deep-set beliefs even if they are mistaken beliefs, and often when one of their own begins to believe things differently–the family, and the church community, react violently against them.
This can really hurt!
An example from my life is when I determined that, because of Jesus’ teaching, I could not join the military to hurt or kill people. I was willing to face any consequence of my decision—even jail or death, but I could not go against the teaching of Jesus. My dad was military and took it personally, and he was not the only one. During the Viet Nam war I took a lot of heat at my Christian college.
Matthew continues to quote Jesus:
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.
I loved my father dearly, and I loved my nation. But I could not follow their demands and violate the message of Jesus and the kingdom. A major part of Jesus’ teaching and example is for us to love others, and this is not always popular. Families and cultures have traditional enemies, and refusing to harm those enemies often causes push-back and conflict.
When we begin to question and discard harmful, misguided beliefs we are often condemned and ostracized by those most dear to us.
The Nature of Commitment to the Kingdom of God
Identifying with Jesus’ good news of the kingdom of God comes with significant commitment: The kingdom takes precedence. This does not mean we must reject everything in our old life and culture—far from it; but the kingdom is first. When demands of government, the expectations of culture, and the desires of the family conflict with the kingdom, our allegiance is to the kingdom.
This is why so many early Christians were killed because they would not acknowledge the Roman Emperor as God.
This allegiance always creates tension in families, cultures, and governments. Each of them demand first allegiance for themselves, but our first allegiance is to the kingdom even when we otherwise honor our family, culture, and government. So those competing for our first allegiance become angry and combative, and we often find ourselves excluded and persecuted.
Jesus warns us of this possibility so that we can be prepared for it. When he says he brings not peace but a sword, he is not being divisive; he is just giving us a heads up as to what we might expect if members of our families are upset about our following Jesus and the kingdom of God.
But even if Jesus does not actually bring a violent sword in this passage, some believers point out that Jesus DID tell his followers to carry swords. We will talk about that next time.
Articles in this series: Does Jesus Demonstrate Judgmentalism, Threats, and Violence?
Does Jesus Demonstrate Judgmentalism, Threats, and Violence?
Does the Cleansing of the Temple Show Jesus’ Violence? – I Don’t Think So
Addendum to the Cleansing of the Temple—What about the Fig Tree?
What Does It Mean that Jesus Brings, not Peace, but a Sword?
3 Possible Reasons Jesus Told His Followers to Carry Swords
Isn’t it Violence for Jesus to Tell Us to Cut off our Hands to Avoid Punishment?
Jesus’ Final Act of Anti-Violence—Crucifixion
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