HE DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE AMONG MEN Jesus is often called the “prince of peace.” This label conflicts radically from the following statement Jesus made of himself:
Matthew 10:34-37 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS 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.”
COMMENTARY: Lacking understanding of the differences between the Old/First Covenant and the New Covenant, Christians do not understand how to apply this verse to their lives. They do not understand because they are Old/First Covenant religionists. Because Jesus is the ultimate example of a New Covenant disciple, he understood what he said, and so will all other New Covenant disciples.
Christians also lack understanding of peace. Like Jews, Christians think of peace in worldly terms, like peace between people. Jesus understood that Jews were looking for a messiah who would bring external peace to Israel according to their interpretations of scriptures that prophesied about a messiah.
Here is a brief summary of the Jews’ expectations regarding the messiah:
He would bring about the political and spiritual redemption of the Jewish people
He would bring Jews back to Israel.
He would establish Jewish law as the law of the land.
He will be a great political leader descended from King David.
He will be a charismatic leader, inspiring others to follow his example.
He will be a great military leader, who will win battles for Israel.
He will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other supernatural being.
Jesus knew that Jews were looking for a messiah who would bring peace to Israel. And he knew that people would stumble over him and want to make him their king because he appeared to have miraculous powers. Therefore, when he said “I have not come to bring peace on earth” he made a clear point of saying that he was not the kind of messiah that the Jews were anticipating.
Both Jews and Christians believe that Jesus came to bring peace to people who live in a world filled with conflict. They believe this because they do not understand that God’s definition of peace is not about relationships between people or nations. Instead, when God talks about peace, he is talking about his spoken word.
When Jesus said he did not come to bring peace, he meant that he was not a political or military leader who would fight Israel’s battles with its political enemies. Rather, the kind of peace to which he referred was Godly peace which is God’s spoken word. He reinforces this statement by saying that he came with a sword, which is another symbolic reference to God’s word.
Jesus further explains this symbolism in verse 35 where he says that his words will create division between people. In God’s view, there are only two kinds of people: New Covenantdisciples who listen to his voice, and Old/First Covenant religionists who listen to the voices of false prophets. As long as the Jews all practiced the same religion, there was a kind of peace within Judaism. But that all changed when some ethnic Jews stopped practicing Judaism because they heard Jesus speak God’s words.
The Jews to whom Jesus was speaking were all Old/First Covenant religionists before Jesus started speaking. People who heard God’s voice as spoken by Jesus had their hearts changed. When their hearts changed, they became New Covenant disciples living among a community of Old/First Covenant religionists.
This is how Jesus’ words created division. Not everyone who heard Jesus’ voice believed what he said. A child might hear and believe what Jesus said when a parent heard but did not believe. At that point they became enemies. While they were all religious, they were not enemies, but when someone stopped being religious, he/she became a spiritual enemy of people who were formerly spiritual friends and members of a religious community (i.e. family.)
Verse 37 has always been a confusing verse for Christians: “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.” They cannot understand why they should have to make a choice between a parent or child and Jesus, so they do not make a choice. They do not understand that Jesus is not telling people to choose whom they will love. They do not understand that he is telling Jews and Christians that they must choose whom they will listen to regarding God and religious matters.
The context of verse 37 is the subject of peace and swords. The common understanding of peace is between people. Whether you are talking about peace between people or peace between people and God, peace is about relationships.
God’s concept of peace is that it is a symbolic reference to his spoken word. People who hear God’s spoken voice have an intimate relationship with God. They have God’s peace (i.e. God’s words) in their hearts. This is the kind of relationship God desires to have with his people. It is also the kind of relationship that people should desire to have with God (i.e. having his words/laws) written on their hearts. This is the essence of the New Covenant.
People who do not have God’s laws written on their hearts do not have peace in their hearts. They also do not have truly peaceful relationships with other people because they have evil, impure hearts.
Since Jesus speaks for God, people who choose to love and follow him in effect say that they love the words he speaks. They love God’s voice. Alternatively, if they love the words of their parents (including religious leaders who function as spiritual parents when they teach/preach religion), more than they love Jesus’ words, they choose to remain religious.
Luke 12:51-53 “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
COMMENTARY: Here again Jesus makes it clear that he did not come to bring political peace to Israel. He also makes it clear that his purpose is to create division between people. The people he will divide are Old/First Covenant religionists from New Covenant disciples.
Christians, lacking understanding of this interpretation, like to imagine that Jesus is the prince of peace who brings peace to the world in conflict. They do not understand that religion, including Christianity, is the cause of conflict because religion is the enemy.
If all people in the world were New Covenant disciples, there would be no conflict because all people would have God’s laws written on their hearts. Because all people would have clean, pure hearts, there would be no partiality or preferences that would divide people along religious boundaries. If there is no religion, there is no religious conflict, and everyone shares relational peace.