The Sword of Separation

UV 1130/10,000 The Sword of the Lord
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10 v 34

Jesus was seen as the Prince of Peace. He surprised both His followers and the people who opposed Him when He said that He had come not to bring peace but a sword of division. What He meant is that Jesus separates the people of God from the people who choose to belong to the world. He divides people with the sword of the Word of God. He divides people into two types: people of the Word and people of the world. The former are distinguished by their faith in Him and their love for the Word. The latter are characterised by their disbelief and their love for the world. Jesus said that within the same family, they would be divided on these lines. There are so many instances even now where children have been separated from their parents on account of their faith in Jesus. Jesus recognized that this would be as painful for both as to be cut with a sword but He said it to warn people of the things to come. He did not want to give anybody a false hope that everything will be hunky-dory. He knew the high price had to be paid by many of being separated from their own near and dear ones.

Jesus is the focal point of history where His birth and life divides history itself into two parts. He is also the dividing line between people. The sword of the Word of God pierces and penetrates human hearts and produce faith and a rich harvest of righteousness. It produces an inner peace or Shalom but it also causes people even of the same family to persecute those who profess such faith. Blood is thicker than water and faith in Jesus is thicker than blood. Even persons with the closest ties need to be prepared for division and hostility as they begin to profess their faith in Christ. Jesus said this not to discourage us but to give us an idea of the true cost of our relationship with Him. The inner peace and security that Jesus brings into believers’ hearts in such circumstances will give them the strength to bear with it. The Lord will bring into the lives of such people persons who will be as close or even closer than their kith and kin.
God comforts the troubled and troubles the comfortable. He brings peace to one and allows strife and trouble for another so that the first will know the reality of his faith and the second- the one troubled- will begin to seek God and His help. When we are troubled in our hearts and minds even without any explicit or known reason, it is a sign that we should seek the presence and comfort of the Lord. We should be sensitive enough to discern such times and situations. The sword of the Word is always active and working in our spirits, hearts and minds, smoothing out the rough edges and removing the angularities. It is an act of self-disciplining when we submit ourselves willingly, consciously and continuously to this kind of pruning by the Spirit of God. The Word is not a weapon forged against us but for us, to enable us to prosper in spirit, mind and body, to build and shape us up as a living temple for God, a place of holiness, peace and blessings where God can dwell.

Prateep V Philip