“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” (Mt. 10:34)
Some have asked, “Why did I have to lose part of my own family when I came to Jesus?”
Compare our text with the announcement of the angels at Jesus’ birth. They promised “peace on earth.” (Luke 2:14) I can certainly understand why this is such a hard question to understand. At another place it is recorded that Jesus said, “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Mt. 10:36-37) Our love for the heavenly Father and His Son must always be uppermost.
Let’s be clear here. Jesus did not advocate conflict. “Blessed,” He said, “are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” (Mt. 5:9) Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they did not know the things that made for their peace. (Luke 19:41) The Bible calls the gospel a message of peace!
Yet, in Jesus’ own family He knew rejection and disbelief for “even his brothers did not believe in him.” (John 7:5)
Conflict in the family can then be the effect of the New Covenant He brings to us as we are “born again” into the family of God. Such a birth brings a new and refreshing knowing that this family of God is forever and stronger than any human family can be. Yet always the human ties and love born in our family ties are pictures and types for that great binding love which we children of God come to know through Christ, not only for God Himself but also for each other.
My prayer for you is that your married life will be as the days of heaven on earth and that your children will be the great blessing they are intended to be when growing up in your home and in your old age. I pray that every member of your family becomes a member of the family of God through Jesus Christ “from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,” (Eph. 5:15) — Christians!
Pastor Brunner is the founder and director of Jim Brunner Ministries
