Sermon for 6/28/26: Proper 8a

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Peace and a Sword
Matthew 10:34-42 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

         

Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” This comes from our Lord’s instructions to His disciples as He sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God to the lost sheep of Israel. He has given them the authority to drive out demons, heal the sick, and even raise the dead. He has told them how God will care for them as they travel. He has told them to bring the peace of God on the places where they stay.

Now, since they were healing the sick, driving out demons, and raising people from the dead, you would expect people to be lined up for miles waiting to see the disciples. The words Jesus spoke to us today are a reality check. Jesus is telling His followers that they should expect conflict when they faithfully proclaim the Gospel. It is not that Jesus wants the sword instead of peace. But the world does not want to hear the Gospel. When Jesus states that His Gospel will bring the sword, He is telling the simple truth that the world will use the sword against those who proclaim the Gospel. Those who faithfully proclaim the Gospel should expect violence against them.

Jesus told the disciples that the violence will even come from family and friends. Jesus said, “A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” Again, it is not that Jesus wants it to be this way, but He knows that sin, death, and the devil will do everything within their power to strike at the proclamation of the Gospel. They will even use the ones we love the most to attack us.

At times, we may have to stand againt family members in order to remain faithful. Jesus said, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” If your brother tells you that he’s in a sexual relationship outside of God-instituted marriage, you must speak the truth to him. If your children say that you must pray to Mary to earn forgiveness, you must oppose them. It does neither you nor them any good if you love them too much to lead them away from their sin and unfaithfulness, even if it makes the Independence Day picnic uncomfortable.

We who confess our faith have the most wonderful, soul-saving message of peace to share. God Himself has come down from His throne to live among us as one of us. He has taken all our sin into His innocence and taken on Himself the punishment that we deserved for that sin. He has absorbed the total judgment of God against all our sins to the point of dying on the cross. He has proved that His sacrifice on the cross was sufficient by rising from the dead. Now He prepares a place for us to live with Him in paradise forever. And to top it all off, all this is free! It was very expensive for Jesus, but it is free to us. Even the faith that receives it all is a free gift from the Holy Spirit. It’s all free!

With a message like that, you would think that every man, woman, and child would want a piece of that action. But our Lord’s words tell us that, as wonderful as the Gospel is, many will reject it. Even though the Gospel is the most wonderful message of all, it will make some people angry. Even people that we love will become angry with us because we are faithful to God.

We in the United States have been spoiled. For the most part, our families, friends, and neighbors are usually Christians, or at least they respect Christianity. As the writer to the Hebrews said, “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Christians in Iran are put to death because they refuse to confess that Allah is god and Mohammed is his prophet. Are you ready to follow their example?  

When Jesus says, “Take up your cross,” this is not just a figure of speech. Our Lord literally carried His cross as He bore our sin. He suffered shame, torture, and ultimately surrendered His life for us. He kept the standard that we could not keep. He secured the salvation that we could not reach. Jesus Himself suffered the sword that He speaks of in today’s Gospel. He did it to earn salvation, even for those who put Him to death. Jesus offers that salvation to the entire world, and we receive the benefits of that salvation through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith.

Along with that faith comes the comfort that sustains us when the world responds to the peace of Christ with a sword, especially when those carrying the sword are people we love. The world hates God’s peace. That is why His message often brings the sword. But God desires peace. That is why He sent His Son into the world to suffer and die. Jesus purchased God’s peace with His death, and we receive that peace through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. And the same Holy Spirit who gives us the faith that receives God’s peace will also give us the endurance to carry the cross of the world’s opposition and rejection. The Gospel of Jesus Christ often brings the temporary sword of this world, but it ultimately gives us the eternal peace of God. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.