Challenging Verses (Matthew 10)

When it comes to challenging verses, many aspects must be considered when interpreting confusing or disturbing verses in the Bible. For this series, we are going to consider 4 things Jesus says during his ministry that can cause confusion. The first one comes in Matthew 10. 

In Matthew 10:34-36 Jesus says, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”

This seems rather strange coming from a man who talks about love and forgiving people. What Jesus seems to say is that he did not come to bring peace but a sword, a weapon used for violence. Then he describes a family turning on each other, an image of disorder and chaos. Is Jesus really saying he came to destroy families? Let’s dig in deeper.

Context is crucial, as it often is, for this particular quote. This chapter begins with Jesus sending out the disciples to proclaim the kingdom and do miraculous acts. He gives them instructions on how to do this. He warns them that there will be people wanting to hurt them because of their message. Some will accept them and invite them in, others will reject them and even want to hurt them. Right before our discussed quote, Jesus says that people will either acknowledge Jesus or deny him (vv.32-33). Then Jesus says that he has come to bring a sword and not peace. Given the context, we can conclude that Jesus’ message and the kingdom is like a sword because it will divide people against each other, even tight knit families might be divided over Jesus. 

Another aspect we must consider is that Jesus quotes from another book of the Bible here. Verse 35 is a direct quote from Micah 7:6. When this appears in Micah, the prophet is talking about how miserable Israel is after the exile and the chaos that ensues. There is disorder in the land until God rescues them. 

Jesus is trying to teach us that following him is not easy. Even our own families and closest people in our lives might get in the way. He must be our top priority and that suffering for Him might mean losing a lot that we have in this life. But that loss will result in a salvation worth all the suffering (Romans 8:18).