{"id":476,"date":"2008-06-29T01:01:41","date_gmt":"2008-06-29T01:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/06\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-16.html"},"modified":"2008-06-29T01:01:41","modified_gmt":"2008-06-29T01:01:41","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/06\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-16.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not Peace, but a Sword<\/strong><\/p>\n

READ Matthew 10:34-42<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0“Don\u2019t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.” \u00a0\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Matthew 10:34<\/a><\/p>\n

At first glance, we might recoil from this statement of Jesus. Isn’t he the Prince of Peace? Hasn’t he come to bring peace on earth? Didn’t Jesus instruct his followers to eschew violence? How can he say that he has come to bring not peace, but a sword?
\nThese concerns are helpful, because they motivate us to dig more deeply into the meaning of Matthew 10:34. We must remember that Jews in the time of Jesus anticipated that the Messiah would usher in a time of peace for Israel. No doubt many of Jesus’ own followers expected the same of him. Indeed, the coming of Jesus as Messiah would ultimately lead to peace (see Isa. 52:7; Luke 1:79, 2:14; John 14:27; Eph. 2:11-22). But before the peace of God’s kingdom enveloped the world, there would be inevitable conflict. Indeed, Jesus explains that families would experience the “sword,” that is, division, because of him (vv. 35-37).
\nJesus does not intend for his disciples to pick up the sword, literally, in order to advance the cause of God’s kingdom (see Matt. 5:9, 5:38-48, 26:52). But he wants us to know that living for him will sometimes lead to negative responses, even to division in our most valued relationships. It will be hard to remain faithful to Jesus in these times, yet that is our calling and privilege.
\nQUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:<\/strong> Have you ever experienced the “sword” of division because of your faith in Christ? Or have you seen this in the lives of close friends? What should we do as peacemakers when we’re faced with division and tension because of our faith?
\nPRAYER<\/strong>: Dear Lord, I must confess that I don’t especially like this verse from Matthew. I’m much happier with “peace on earth” than “not peace, but a sword.” And, to be honest, there have been times when I backed away from bearing witness to you because I didn’t want to stir up trouble. I want people to like me, not to think I’m some sort of a religious nut. Forgive me, Lord, when I have blunted your message and masked my faith so as to avoid the inevitable “sword” of division and conflict.
\nYour calling is not an easy one, Lord. We are to be peacemakers, but not “nicemakers.” As we seek genuine peace by proclaiming and living out the good news of the kingdom, there will be times of conflict and division. True disciples don’t always win popularity contests. So help us, Lord, to seek real peace, not superficial calm. May we be faithful to you and your message, no matter what the results. By your grace, may we be people of truth who speak and live with boldness and humility. Amen<\/em>.
\nDaily Reflections from The High Calling.org <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.
\n\"high<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not Peace, but a Sword READ Matthew 10:34-42 \u00a0“Don\u2019t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.” \u00a0 Matthew 10:34 At first glance, we might recoil from this statement of Jesus. Isn’t he the Prince of Peace? Hasn’t he come to bring peace on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}