I have come with a sword, not the peace!

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It is written in the bible (Matthew 10:34-39); "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. 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. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it".

Many Christians are baffled when they read the above mentioned verses, especially with the one that says "I came with the sword, not the peace". This must be a subject of controversy since the character of Jesus has got nothing to do with the hatred and enmity. In other words, the literal meaning of certain Bible verses often brings confusion to the commoners. But the bible says, the wisdom of God is only given to those who are chosen since they are given the discernment (Matthew 13:11-12). And mind you, the word of God is true and there is no confusion, except for those who interpret the word wrongly at their convenience. Moreover, it is critical to have our faith built by godly understanding in order to differentiate between good and evil. The above message is very clear that Jesus came to separate the good from the evil, while the word claims that He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). And the 'sword' symbolizes the word of God, as a cutting device between good and evil – not the sword that brings war and unrest, as many misunderstood erroneously.

As a matter of fact, Jesus didn't come to stir-up troubles among anyone’s family or life, as we read the verse in Matthew 10:37; instead he is explaining metaphorically the importance of Godliness in one's life, where the first priority should always be given to the Lord. Meaning; if anyone or any object takes our attention away from the Lord, then those objects or persons should be considered as our enemies – an obstacle towards the righteousness of God that must be avoided or cut off. And in terms of priority, it really makes sense when Jesus commented; "I came to turn a man against his father" – which indicates our first priority in life should be God and his righteousness, not the family that is the second. But the beauty is – if we regard our faith as exactly as recommended in the bible, we are actually gaining the righteousness of God together with the dominion of this world – certainly a double bonus from the Lord, which is mentioned in Matthew 10:39; “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it”. Amen