DEVOTION
THE GOSPEL
ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
NO PEACE
Matt 10:34-36
34
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not
come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 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— 36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own
household.'
NIV
This would seem like Jesus is contradicting
himself. He has told us that he gives us his peace, not as the world gives peace,
but his peace. We sing songs like “I have peace like a river”, and we know one
of the fruit of the Spirit is peace. Yet, here Jesus is not talking about the peace
he gives us believers, but rather the fact that as one member of a family comes
to him, it causes strife within a family. This was especially true in the
Jewish culture as well as in most Eastern cultures. It can happen in our families
if we are too verbal about Jesus. Yet, how can we remain silent among those we
love, particularly our family. Sometimes there seems to be a bypass that we
cannot overcome. We tell them if they love us, they would listen to what we
have to say. But they say if we love them, we will not push Jesus on them, that
we would be silent about our faith. So, in the sense of a prophetic word, Jesus
is speaking about what will happen when we decide to follow him.
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