Jesus came to bring a sword...

I briefly need to say that you’ll notice I quote from a variety of Bible translations. The reason I do this is because even though I was raised on the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, and it reads very nice poetically. Like ALL the “translations” of the “original” manuscripts, it has some “not-so-good” interpretations of the original languages of Scripture.

The original writings of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew, a few in Aramaic and the original New Testament manuscripts were written in Greek.

Okay... So I said all that to say this...

Yes... “God is love...” 1 John 4:16 and “… God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...” John 3:16

But, it is ALSO true that Jesus came to bring a sword (division, adversity).

In Matthew 10:34-38 He said...

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I came 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: And a person's enemies will be the members of his own family.

Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.“

What Jesus is saying is that we must love Him MORE than anyone else... with all our heart, all our soul, and with all our mind. He said this is the greatest commandment.

Matthew 22:34-40 says…
“But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

As you can see, Jesus was very controversial even in His day. He brought new, different ideas and a better way. But the “religious folks” refused to accept “The Way of Christ.”

And this is exactly what the “church” is doing today. Refusing to accept the “Way of Christ.” The institutional church demands the worship, control and first place in the lives of its attendees, for it (the physical building) and its leaders. And this is in direct opposition to the Word of God.

Remember the words of the Apostle Paul…

“Follow me as I follow Christ…”