There is absolutely no question that preaching the Word faithfully and forcefully will bring about a severing of relationships between those who accept the message, and seek to live by it, and those who do not. The disciples of the Messiah are to put on the full armor of God and then "take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" [Ephesians 6:17]. And this sword is sharp. "The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword" [Hebrews 4:12]. The church is armed for the fight; it must indeed "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" [Jude 3]. But what is the focus of our warfare? Is it against our fellow believers who differ with us on matters of personal preference, perception and practice? Or is our battle against something else entirely? Perhaps the apostle Paul sheds some light on this just prior to urging us to take up the sword of the Spirit. He wrote, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" [Ephesians 6:12].
In other words, we should be using the sword to cut through the darkness that threatens to overwhelm the people of God, not use it to slice through a disciple who does not happen to "follow along with us."
When Paul said he had "fought the good fight" [2 Timothy 4:7], he was not talking about a family feud. Those disciples with differing opinions and traditions are not the enemy. For us to use the sword of the Spirit to eviscerate a fellow believer is not only a misuse and abuse of this weapon, it is murder in the sight of our God. "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" [1 John 3:15].
What exactly was our lord's intent when He uttered those memorable words: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" [Matthew 10:34]? First, we should make it abundantly clear that the "peace" our lord would bring with his teaching was not the kind of peace typically envisioned by the world. Jesus wanted his disciples to understand this fact before they went out proclaiming his message. The effect of their proclamation would not be a radical reformation of human society resulting in a world filled with brotherly love, harmony and unity.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give unto you" [John 14:27]. "These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" [John 16:33]. The peace that our lord promised was an inward peace; a spiritual calmness and courage; a blessed assurance, even in the face of outward trials and afflictions. It was also a peace between God and man, not necessarily between man and man (although this too could, at times, be a positive effect of his teaching).
Jesus needed his disciples to understand the harsh realities of their mission. Their message would not always be well-received. Indeed, at times it would generate some very negative responses against them. Their lives would often be in jeopardy as a result of their commitment to him. The ascended Jesus told Ananias, for example, when he sent him to find Saul of Tarsus, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake" [Acts 9:15-16]. Peace, as the world understood that concept, would not be Paul's lot in life.
Note carefully the list of experiences this man endured for his Lord, as enumerated in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, and you will see that his life was anything but peaceful (and this list reflected only the midway point of his ministry). Yet, with respect to being at peace with his heavenly Father, and possessing a peace "which surpasses all understanding" [Philippians 4:7], this faithful servant certainly had that in abundance. Yes, Jesus brought peace, but not as the world expected. It was this Jesus sought to impress upon the Twelve in Matthew 10:34. As He commissioned them for the mission ahead [cf. Matthew 10:5-33], all of which serves as the immediate context for his statement in vs. 34, he informed them of the trials and hardships they would face. If they went forth thinking their purpose was to bring an earthly peace, they needed to rid their hearts and minds of this illusion immediately. They would be "sheep in the midst of wolves" [vs. 16], they would be "delivered up" [vs. 19], they would be "hated" [vs. 22] and "persecuted" [vs. 23], yet they were not to be fearful [vs. 28, 31]. The Spirit would fill them with an inner sense of peace!
Although his disciples, through their deep and abiding faith and trust in him, would know a personal, inward peace, our lord also sought, as an integral part of his ultimate purpose, to eradicate the enmity that existed between various groups of men, thus establishing an outward peace as well. Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, master and slave, young and old, male and female, all needed to experience greater harmony. This wouldn't come easily, and it most certainly wouldn't come either quickly or effortlessly. But, it nevertheless was, and is, a peace attainable through acceptance of his message of grace, which, if received with sincerity of heart, would, with time and maturity, lead to acceptance of one another.
"His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace" [Ephesians 2:15, NIV]. In this universal called-out Assembly there "is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in the Messiah Jesus" [Galatians 3:28]. Such glorious peace among men is only attainable when we stay focused on Jesus, rather than focusing on the differences, and even defects, we perceive in one another. "How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity" [Psalm 133:1], and yet how extremely difficult it is to achieve! Why? Because we are too quick to lose focus; too quick to take our eyes off the goal; too quick to elevate inconsequentials; too quick to devalue the worth of our fellow disciples. WE get in the way, and HIS purpose for ultimate peace suffers!
The world's idea of peace, and the word's idea of peace, are not even remotely the same! Jesus told the Twelve He did not come to bring the former, but rather the latter.
The far more immediate and visible reality of the preaching and teaching of our Lord's message would be "the sword." Although the ultimate purpose of Jesus was to bring men together, the actual effect that would be most evident would be the dividing of men from one another. When Jesus spoke of the "sword" in Matthew 10:34, he spoke figuratively. The meaning of this figure was/is: division. This is seen quite clearly in the parallel passage found in the gospel of Luke the physician. "Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division" [Luke 12:51]. And this was to be a division of the most heart-wrenching kind -- it would divide the believer from those within his own household. This would be the ultimate test of discipleship, one about which Jesus frequently spoke. Choosing Jesus often meant (and still does) losing one's family. It was not uncommon for some Jews to even have a funeral for a son or daughter who embraced the Messiah, as they were regarded as "dead to them." Yes, Jesus brought a sword; he divided families. Notice the verses that immediately follow our text -- "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 father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" [Matthew 10:35-38]. True commitment to the Messiah is not easy; it involves sacrifice, and frequently a sword.
Jesus Christ spoke, in our text for this study, of familial fracturing. Yes, there would be the sacrifice of other severed relationships as well. But the hardest enmity for anyone to endure would be that of one's very own beloved family. As Democritus {c. 460-370 B.C.} wisely observed, "The enmity of one's kindred is far more bitter than the enmity of strangers." In our text Jesus quoted Micah 7:6. Being severed from one's family because of one's faith is certainly not unique to Christianity. It is universal. Although such excruciating pain was not the purpose of His coming, it would clearly become one of the effects of that coming. The Twelve needed to know what would follow in the wake of their teaching. So also do we! Indeed, earlier in His commissioning dissertation, Jesus informed them, "Brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death" [Matt. 10:21]. Yes, when Christ is preached, and when Christ is believed, and when Christ is received, a sword is never far behind. We must be aware of this, as must those we convert to Him, lest we buckle under the weight of affliction.
So, why did Jesus speak in terms of family division here, and not a broader scope of division? Most scholars believe it is because the Lord sought to deal with the separations that would hurt the most, and thus would be the greatest threat to a believer faithfully following Him. One might well be able to endure the ostracism of a co-worker, or a neighbor, or even of a friend. But the ultimate test would be the force of the sword within one's family. Also, it would be within one's own household that the effects of one's newfound belief would be initially evidenced. Thus, the first reaction to one's life-choice would come from this sector. "Those who rally round the Messiah are naturally opposed and hated by those who cleave to the old evil traditions. And the battle begins in the household" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 15, p. 435]. Although the dividing asunder of relationships would obviously be felt elsewhere as well, "the battle of principles comes into closest quarters in the house; so a man's bitterest foes are those of his own household" [ibid, p. 436]. If one can endure this opposition for Jesus, one can endure anything.
Dr. Paul E. Kretzmann correctly observed that our lord Jesus the Messiah "foresaw hostile opposition to his message. He knew, also, that the spiritual conflict which would be brought on by carnal enmity would find its expression in actual physical persecution. His disciples should not then imagine, as they were likely to do, that there would now be a reign of earthly quietness and peace, with all the blessings which the word implies. Division, contention, war, sudden, fierce calamities would follow the introduction of the Gospel. There is no more bitter hatred and strife than that due to religious differences. It estranges the very closest of friends, it disrupts families, it causes lasting enmity between members of the same household. To stand firmly on the side of the Messiah Jesus demands the utmost fearlessness" [Popular Commentary of the Bible: The NT, vol. 1, p. 59].
It is significant to note that the purpose of the Messiah's teaching was NOT to divide men from one another, but to unify them. It was, however, often the effect of his teaching that men came to be divided from one another. It is critical to distinguish between purpose and effect, a distinction I fear many are not making today!
We should not be preaching and teaching division, yet, sadly, this is exactly what too many are doing. When sermon after sermon is devoted to tearing down disciples, rather than lifting up the Messiah, we have ceased being "gospel" preachers. Yes, we must preach Truth, and we must do so boldly. When people accept that message of grace, embracing Jesus the Messiah as lord and savior, this will bring a sword into their lives and relationships. It is inevitable. We must prepare them for it. Yes, we must also oppose error, and expose those who maliciously and willfully promote it. We must do this fearlessly. This too will result in a separation between those disciples who are genuine sheep and those who only "wear the wool." When Truth is proclaimed and defended, a sword will follow. This sword must always be the effect of such faithful proclamation, however, and never the purpose of it.
"Truth must be spoken, errors must be exposed, sin must be denounced, and this must be done at any cost; and let the Disciple be prepared for opposition. If all men speak well of him, let him search his conduct to see whether he has been faithful, or whether perchance he may have been speaking smooth things for the sake of ease and comfort" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 15, p. 428]. "To preach the gospel of purity and peace will always arouse opposition. Evil has to be put down before peace can prevail. Hence, while the great end (purpose) that the Messiah proposes is peace, the immediate result (effect) of his coming, and of the preaching of the gospel, is opposition and bloodshed. This was not the savior's object, but the effect" [B. W. Johnson, The People's NT with Explanatory Notes, p. 63]. If we are faithful to our individual callings, we shall experience opposition, which will likely include severing of relationships, perhaps even with those whom we dearly love. Brethren, it hurts.
I know firsthand the pain that David clearly felt when he wrote, "It is not my enemy who reproaches me, for then I could bear it; nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, for then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend. We who had sweet fellowship together, walking in the house of God in the throng" [Psalm 55:12-14]. I am a realist. I know and understand the risk I take by boldly proclaiming my convictions. I realize that some, whom I love dearly, may well choose to turn from me ... and perhaps even turn upon me. It is a sword hovering above my head that I must ever be willing to accept ... as must each of you.
Choosing him often means losing them. It is painful, but the cause of the Messiah demands it. Indeed, we are unworthy of Him if we flee from the face of such separation. May we draw strength and courage from the conviction of Paul, who said from a prison cell, "Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of the Messiah. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing the Messiah Jesus my lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain the Messiah, and may be found in him" [Philippians 3:7-9]. Brethren, if you follow the savior, a sword will follow you! May he give us the strength to endure it.
Written by Al Maxey and edited by Bruce Lyon
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