Title: Jesus Came to Break the False Peace
Contents
Jesus came to break the false peace (Matthew 10:34-42)
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34).
At Christmas, the most used scripture is “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14). That is the word. Jesus came to bring peace. Before Jesus was crucified, he rode a donkey into Jerusalem, a symbol of Jesus as the Prince of Peace. But in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that He did not come to bring peace. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:32). Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He came to bring peace.
The peace spoken of in Matthew 10 is a false peace. People say it's peace, but they're talking about false peace, not real peace. It is the peace proclaimed by the false prophets spoken of in Jeremiah. “For they are all covetous, from the least to the greatest, and from the prophets to the priests all lie. They take the wounds of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace, but no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:13-) 14).
True peace comes from a right relationship with God. It comes from obeying the truth. Just because it is unconditionally quiet and there are no conflicts does not mean peace. Peace without truth is fake peace. It is false peace that comes when we forgive each other and close our eyes. The peace that worldly success and wealth brings is false peace. Jesus came into the world to break this false peace. We must not be deceived by the word peace. At the time of Jesus, there was a lot of turmoil because of the truth that Jesus preached. The priests and Pharisees told Jesus not to proclaim the truth in order to quiet the world.
Even today, they tell us to keep our mouths shut because of Jesus. If there is someone who believes in Jesus in the family first, it tells them to give up their faith for the sake of family peace. In America, when I said that slavery was a sin against God, I was told not to say that for the sake of the country. Many people are deceived by the word “peace” and give up the truth. But the confusion and suffering that comes when the truth is proclaimed is the confusion that comes when the false peace is broken. Just as pain and suffering accompany people during surgery, false truths are broken when the truth that brings true peace is proclaimed. Jesus came into the world to give us a sword that breaks false peace. There will be confusion and pain for a while, but eternal and true peace is in the truth.