The Sword

UV 2246/10000 The Sword
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword
Matthew 10 v 34

Believers in Jesus are the most peaceful people and yet ironically, they are the most persecuted and tormented right through the ages from Roman times to the present day world. They will have the utmost peace in their hearts but all around they face strife and trouble. They are neither violent nor disorderly and yet they will be falsely accused. Even persons belonging to their own homes and families often turn against them and try to harm them. Those who are not for Jesus act against those who are for Him. This uni-verse is confirmation of the promise that the believer would be hated by his own people.

The words of Jesus is like a sword of truth that penetrates the human heart. The ones who are inclined to knowing and obeying the truth will love and trust His words and Him while those who are not inclined to know the truth and obey it will hate and distrust Him and His words. Like a double-edged sword, the word of Jesus penetrates the speaker and the listener. Some like the Samaritan woman welcomed it and accepted it while some like Herod and Pilate resented it and opposed it tooth and nail. The latter were not willing to give up the evil of their hearts and lives and hence, turned a deaf ear to the words of Jesus. The darkness cannot comprehend the light and does not want to do so. Hence, it opposes the light or the truth.

Having said that, the words of Jesus brings eternal peace to the one who receives it with faith. It brings peace with God, with self and with others. It is the kind of peace that persists and cannot be affected by circumstances nor can it be disturbed or taken away by somebody. The words of Jesus bring inner healing and restoration. The words of Jesus imparts wisdom and understanding. The words of Jesus contained in the four gospels are the source of many blessings, both earthly and eternal. In the book of Revelation, the Lord is depicted as rider of a horse with a fiery sword coming out of His mouth. It implies that the words of Jesus in our mouths, minds and hearts is a purifying, cleansing, sanctifying fire as well as a weapon of defence, a source of power in our lives to enable us to emerge victorious.
Prateep V Philip