Did Jesus Come To Bring Peace?

A friend son-in-law, who is of a different religion, are having many conversations about the Christian Bible.

Clarification: 

There are some major struggles, when reading or discussing “what the Bible says.” The problem comes with the many metaphor, analogies used; not to mention its cultural context and different languages used.

I was sitting here thinking about their conversations when  two Bible verses came to mind.  Both basically have nothing to do with each other.  Yet in many ways have a great deal to do with each other.

One verse is found in Luke 2: 

—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

The other is from Matthew 10:

34 ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

The verse from Luke was said by Simeon when Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple for his dedication.

Simon’s words were, what I will call, a prediction. 

The verse from Matthew came from Jesus, as he taught the people how to understand his purpose for coming into the world.

You will have to read these two verses in their full  context for yourself.  It is never very wise to take one verse out of its original setting.

This morning I would like to think about how the ‘sword’ fits with the common belief that Jesus came to bring peace on earth.  One way we might begin this discussion is to realize Jesus created a bunch of tension within his surroundings.  

He did!

The tension came when one family member believed in Jesus and the others did not believe. Or one faction of social, or religious, groups believed and the others didn’t.

Remember, the Jewish people where very  protective of their beliefs — their faith — as well as their sacred rituals and laws. 

Jesus teachings bumped up against these strictly practiced ritual and laws.  He not only called into question their validity; but often he refused to practice them.

He also called into question the integrity of the Pharisee, Sadducees and Scribes. 

Then when you add the fact he called himself the “Son of God,” you have a sticky mess within the small nation.

Simeon’s uses, of the word sword, was a way of telling Mary that her heart would be broken watching her son be shunned and then crucified for what he came to do.

Jesus’ used the word sword figuratively — not in a literal way.    What he might have been suggesting is that peace often comes with struggle; comes with decisions that aren’t always popular.

My take is, the peace Jesus brought would cause some big changes in their ways of thinking and believing.

Something that is never very peaceful.

Tension often comes with change.  

    What Jesus came to bring was major change.

          Change in the major mindset of human thinking.

Change not only on religious issues; but ethical matters and leadership style as well.