Do you ever wonder what Jesus meant in Mathew 10:34 when he said: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword”?
At first glance, this verse seems surprising. We often associate Jesus with peace – He is the Prince of Peace. When Isaiah prophesied about the birth of Jesus, he wrote: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Yet here, in Matthew 10:34, Jesus says that He did not to bring peace, but a sword. What does He mean? How can the Prince of Peace be the source of division and conflict?
Jesus was talking about the cost of discipleship and the radical nature of what it means to follow Christ. It challenges us to ask, what kind of sword is Jesus referring to here?
Not a Literal Sword (The Sword of Truth)
Jesus did not mean the he brought a literal sword which his followers would use on his enemies. He warned that, “those who take the sword will perish by the sword”. (cf. Matthew 26:52) The sword which Jesus wielded on earth was the sword of truth.
It is God’s word that exposes the inner man, convicting the world of sin. In Hebrews 4:12 we read, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Jesus knew that the word of God was not going to be well received. It would shed light upon the sinfulness of people who would react with violence. And that violence was going to tear families apart and create division, even among those who loved each other. Those who chose to follow Jesus were called to be loyal to Him and to love him above all others.
Jesus explained: “ For I came to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a person’s enemies will be the members of his household. “The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt 10:35-37)
The peace of the gospel is real, but it is peace with God (Romans 5:1), not always peace with people. Are you willing to endure rejection or misunderstanding from family, friends, or culture in order to remain faithful to Christ?
The Cost of Discipleship
Jesus was preparing His disciples for persecution. Following Him is not the easy road – it is the narrow way. In Mathew 7:13-14, Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
The “sword” Jesus is talking about in Matthew 10:34 reminds us that Christianity is not about comfort, but commitment. True peace comes after surrender, but until then, there may be conflict in this world. Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? Are you ready to stand firm when the world resists the gospel?
The Roman historian Tacitus accused Christians of being ‘haters of mankind’. Those who agree with Tacitus find a lot of ‘hate speech’ in the New Testament, for it exposes their souls and condemns their sinfulness.
The Ultimate Peace
In this sense only did Jesus bring a sword. His message of truth revealed the love of God, the grace of God as well as his justice. Those who rejected that message, put Jesus on the cross. They persecuted his disciples and are still at it. And while the world remains divided about Jesus, His mission ultimately leads to eternal peace for those who believe.
At the cross, He made peace between God and man. “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”Colossians 1:19-20, NIV.
His faithful servants enjoy God’s perfect peace while holding on to God’s word. This is the spiritual “sword”— which separates light from darkness, truth from error and life from death. So, we must hold fast to the hope of eternal peace while courageously wielding the sword of truth in our present age.
Jesus’ statement “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” is a challenging statement. It predicted that Jesus’ message wold lead to division rather than universal acceptance, for it challenged existing beliefs and social values.
The apostle Paul put the conflict this way: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” (2 Cor 10:3-6)
The weapons that we use is spiritual. They reveal the will of God while destroying arguments and all sort of arrogance arrayed against Him. Since the kingdom of Jesus is not ‘of this world’, neither are the weapons that he has put into our hands. And when the world responds to spiritual weapons with carnal ones, it is an admission of defeat.
In this way, Jesus reminded us that discipleship is serious and costly. He did not promise an easy path, but that He will always be with us to strengthen and to reward eternally. The sword that He brings offers salvation. It calls for decision. And if we say ‘yes’, it forces us to be loyal to God rather than to men.
May we always say with the apostle Paul, “…I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the ew first and also to the Greek
Toronto, ON