Peace or a Sword?

My home country Canada is going to be celebrating her 149th Birthday on July 1st.  Canada is known for her peacekeeping role around the world, and because of this she is a country well-loved and respected around the globe.  While peacekeeping is admirable, sometimes it can cost you everything, as we'll discover later on.

Rather than "peacekeepers," the Bible talks about "peacemakers" in the Beatitudes.  

Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

This is not just a nice saying that Jesus said for people to try and be good. This is stating a fact of who a child of God is.  In fact, can we claim to be a child of God if we don't promote peace with others?  Scripture never indicates that we should do otherwise -- it is a requirement of being a follower and believer of Jesus.  

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Eph 4:2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Eph 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Where there is strife, we must try and "make" peace with others.  

Where does peace come from?  It certainly doesn't come from the world.  It can only come from God.  Jesus is the one who calms the storms, calms our fears, and puts everything that's chaotic into a perfect order.  We have only to look at the intricacy of nature and the vastness of the untouchable universe to quickly perceive that only He could put it all together and keep our tiny planet afloat in space in perfect balance.  Jesus is the author of peace, and it is part of His nature.  

Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Rom 15:33  Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Peace is also a fruit of the Spirit and it is result of turning everything over to Him through prayer.

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Now we turn a corner, and we come to the heart of this blog.  We find one of the most surprising and notable passages of Scripture regarding peace when Jesus declares that He did not come to earth to bring peace.  

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Mat 10:36  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

We may find this confusing considering other Scriptures we've just read about our God being a God of peace, and that we must keep peace amongst ourselves.  But we need to understand that in these passages Jesus is talking about the cost of following Him.  In this context, He is referring to a peace that is passive, a light that is hidden, and a love of something or someone else that is greater than our love for Him.  In other words, He didn't come to bring a nice orderly religion where you wear your Sunday best, go to church and say hello to everyone. He's not talking about a 'surface religion" or just giving Him a Sunday morning ritualistic mental assent. No, He came to bring a RADICAL change in our lives that would come at a great personal cost.  Namely, it is an all-inclusive heart, mind, body and soul commitment!  We are asked to love Him more than anything else in our life, especially when the going gets tough and we are under the threat of incredible loss and/or persecution. 

All else that we love will have to take a second place, or perhaps be removed completely.  This is the "sword" He is talking about because it will divide and it will devastate.  The cost will be great and any attempt to "make" or "keep" peace may fail if we are seriously making a choice to go all out for God.  We may not say much, but the ones affected may have a lot to say and it will hurt and divide.  Our loved ones will not want to take a second place. They will want to be front and centre, and we will have to constantly make that choice to go all out for God, or lose out on a dynamic relationship with Him.  In fact we could lose everything, even our own life.

If you have taken a stand for Jesus, you will already likely have experienced the "piercing of the Sword," when someone quickly shut you down, insulted you, rejected you, or kicked you out of the group.  You may not be welcome in your own family and treated as a stranger.  You may be singled out in your job as that "religious" person that no one wants to talk to.  Perhaps you have been fired.  Maybe you have lost your inheritance.  In spite of all of this, Jesus promises in Matthew 10:39 -- he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.  So if you find that today you are holding on to something for dear life, and nothing seems to be going right, it is time to let go and grab the Hand of the Lord who was nailed to the cross for you.  Give Him your all.  Only then can you find life and true peace.