Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Not Peace, but a Sword

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 For I have come 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 person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.

42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Today we reach the end of chapter 10 in Matthew’s Gospel account.

While we know that the chapters and verses are not divinely inspired these divisions can be helpful as we study the Scriptures.

They often help us to organize Matthew’s narrative into parts that we can digest one at time, while not necessary, they can often times be helpful.

I point this out because chapter 10 is a good example of this.

In verses 1-15 we saw how Jesus outlined the mission for his twelve disciples, he listed their names and instructed them to go out and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom.

In verses 16-23 Jesus told his disciples what they should expect as they carry out that mission.

That they should expect persecution and to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.

In verses 24-33 Jesus then instructs them how to respond to this persecution, that they should not fear those who can only kill the body, but instead to fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

And finally, today, we reach the end of chapter 10, in verses 34-42, where we see the effects of the disciples carrying out this mission.

That their allegiance to Jesus and the proclamation of his kingdom will cause division as well as encounter glad reception.

On one hand families may be divided because of this message, and on the other hand their will be those who eagerly receive this message.

Do not think that I have come bring peace

So Jesus

Jesus starts out there in verse 34 with some very jarring words doesn’t he?

He says,

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

On the outset these words seem to contradict much of what many of us know about Jesus.

For instance, the prophet Isaiah from the OT tells us that the Messiah is to be the Prince of Peace ().

We read in Isaiah chapter 9, starting in verse 6,

6  For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7  Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

Every year we try to go to as many houses as we can and sing Christmas songs celebrating the birth of Jesus, and one of the verses we often quote is from ,

Every year we try to go to as many houses as we can and sing Christmas songs celebrating the birth of Jesus, and one of the verses we often quote is from ,

14  “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

The Messiah is seen as a figure, or as a person, who will bring peace upon the earth.

And at one point in John’s Gospel Jesus tells his disciples,

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

So the aim of Jesus’ ministry is that of peace, so why is it that we read here in Matthew that Jesus did not come to bring peace on the earth?

The answer is relatively straightforward.

Jesus’ mission to bring peace on the earth was a mission to reconcile man to God.

To make a way for man to have peace with God.

Apart from Christ’s sacrifice God’s wrath abides on all of us, apart from God’s redeeming grace all of mankind is at odds with God.

We’ve sinned against a holy God, therefore his just wrath abides on us.

Therefore, Jesus’ mission was to proclaim salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins, that those who trust in Jesus for their salvation might have peace with God.

So peace is central to the good news of the kingdom, in fact, it could be said that peace with God is the good news of the kingdom.

So the peace that’s mentioned here in verse 34 is referring to a horizontal peace between men.

Jesus is saying that while you will be preaching good news not everyone will receive that good news, which will therefore create division.

One defining attribute about truth is that it divides.

This is what Jesus means when he says he has not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Jesus is not advocating that we take up arms but that we must understand that following Jesus will separate us from those who oppose him.

And so Jesus goes on there in verses 35-37 to tell his disciples how their allegiance to him might play out.

He says,

35 For I have come 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 person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

Your allegiance to Jesus and the pursuit of his kingdom will cut so deep that your enemies may even be those of your own household.

This is very evident within the religion of Islam, where whole families are likely to disown family members who becomes Christians.

Many of you may well have experienced this reality, that to follow Jesus means putting you at odds with certain family members.

This makes certain holiday conversations with certain family member difficult or awkward, and what Jesus is saying to you and I is that this is to be expected.

More than that, he goes on there in verse 37,

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me

This is precisely what Jesus means in ,

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

In other words, if your love and your allegiance to Jesus does not infinitely surpass the the love and allegiance you have for your family then you are not worthy to be a disciple of Jesus, in fact, he says you cannot be his disciple.

Incredibly divisive and demanding words aren’t they?

There is no easy believism as far as Jesus is concerned.

You’re either with him wholeheartedly or against him and his enemy.

This is why Jesus can say things like,

30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

There’s no such thing as neutrality taught in the Scriptures, a man is either opposed (secretly or openly) to God, or he completely embraces God’s Son.

Jesus is supremely worthy

And one of things that’s truly astonishing to me about verse 37 is the worth that Jesus attributes to himself.

Listen again to verse 37,

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

He tells us that if we are not willing to love him more than those whom we naturally love the most here on earth then we are not worthy to be his disciple.

In other words Jesus is telling us that he is of supreme worth, he is infinitely more important than any of our earthly families.

Now that doesn’t mean our families are not important, because enshrined in the 10 commandments is his instruction to honor our father and mother.

And in another place the Apostle Paul says that if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, that he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever, but even so our supreme priority ought to be Christ and his kingdom, in every circumstance.

So in order to follow Christ you must put Christ and his kingdom first, every time, while simultaneously honoring your parents, no matter whether they’re unbelievers or not.

As an adult honoring your father and mother doesn’t mean obedience to them in every life decision, but it does mean that you treat them with the respect that God has given them as your parents.

You hear them out, you treat them with kindness and not contempt, and above all you follow God.

If you’re a parent your job is to teach your children this, that their supreme purpose is to glorify God in all that they do, to value him supremely, to put him and kingdom first in all things, above even your own desires.

My mother posted a quote on social media just yesterday by a man many of us know, missionary and martyr, Jim Elliot.

He said this of our children,

"Grieve not, then if your sons seem to desert you, but rejoice, rather, seeing the will of God done gladly.

Remember how the Psalmist described children?

He said that they were as a heritage from the Lord, and that every man should be happy who had his quiver full of them.

And what is a quiver full of but arrows?

And what are arrows for but to shoot?

So with the strong arms of prayer, draw the bowstring back and let the arrows fly- all of them, straight at the Enemy's hosts."