I Came Not to Send Peace

This is my second “Seek the Lord Sunday” post. This week’s topic is to tell about a verse or chapter of the Bible that speaks to you lately.

For me, it is not one verse or chapter that’s been speaking to me lately as much as one idea presented in numerous chapters. This idea starts off in Micah 7:6:

“For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies [are] the men of his own house.”

This idea continues in Matthew 10:34-35:

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 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.”

Luke 12:51-53 repeats this sentiment:

“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.”

I brought this issue up to other believers once and it was an explosive issue-so explosive that most of them have never spoken to me again. Yet as I look around me and see what is happening in the world, I think we need to look at these verses.

God always has a reason for telling us things. We may not always understand it, but He has a reason. I think He told us this so we would know to expect it and not to lose faith when it does happen. In fact this is already happening-children calling CPS on their parents, people being paid to turn in others for arrest, etc…

This also happens when people believe in God, but differ about how to act out that belief. When people start doing things differently, families, friends and neighbors get upset, and stop speaking to the people doing things differently.

Now a lot of people will say that Yeshua promised us peace, and ignore these verses. Yeshua did say He would give us peace, through the fire, through the trials. He did not promise that families, neighbors and friends would be conflict free.

He also told us that when these things happen, that is one of the signs of His returning. We need to prepare ourselves for this by making sure we are strong in our faith and not blaming Him when it does happen. We also need to make sure we can forgive the people who did this to us. It is not a question of if this will happen-we have already been told it will-it’s just a matter of time.

Are we prepared?

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