"Don't assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." -- Matthew 10:34
Wow what a question for me this time of morning. Answer- No- why- because 3 things rule in the human existence.... money, sex, and greed. All three of these just spread to other areas of our lives, and continue to grow. And, whether you're Christian or not, a God, the God, is our only solace. If you do not believe in a high power, you have lost sense of hope without hope, you might as well be dead.
This is what I have always been told that Christ's message was, a message of love and mercy. Matthew 5:38-48 38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. How can you equate that to this? Matthew 10:21 “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” Matthew 10:34-35King James Version (KJV) 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:35-37 New King James Version (NKJV) 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’[a] 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
I don't believe the message in Matthew 10:34 was that Christ wanted to bring the sword, but that He wasn't promising us peace here on earth, and letting us know that being a Christian wasn't necessarily going to be the easy path.
Peace on earth? I don't want to be Negative Nellie, but I don't think there will ever be peace on earth. As long as man is selfish and greedy, there will always be hate, envy and violence.
You're not being negative, just truthful. I feel the same way and I don't see a thing changing in the future.
I heard this on CNN this evening and it made me cringe. North Korea and South Korea may have their first diplomatic talks in two years. However it was mentioned that North Korea wants to send athletes to the Winter Olympics. Imagine being one of those poor athletes from North Korea and if they don't perform well, what could happen to them. I remember the Eastern Block athletes at the Olympics, it used to infuriate my mother because she knew that were closely watched, escorted and not free.
.... Especially "closely watched" today..... politics, politics everywhere, 'escorted' (censored) and not only "not free", but very costly to everyone's freedom and pocketbook, eh ?
I think I posted "good thread" because a lot of the negative reality of society/ politics/ maybe religion/ was exposed - posted about.