What did Jesus mean when he said, "I came not to bring peace but a sword!"
This is one of those apparent contradictory statements by Jesus again. I love these type of statements by the Lord. And why? Because it forces me to carefully examine the text to see what he meant by this controversial phrase. Once again to understand what Jesus meant, we must understand the context in which he said it. Matthew 10:34-37 says, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth, but a sword . For I came to set a man against Father, and a Daughter against her Mother, and a Daughter-In-Law against her Mother-In-Law; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves Father and Mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who will lose his life for my sake will find it." The prior verses tell us that Jesus had commissioned his disciples to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast of demons (...