Jesus’s Weapon is Love

Today’s reading: Exodus 23: 4-5 and Luke 6:27-36

I’m not sure why, but I sense that most Christians naturally assume the commandment to love one’s enemies is original to the New Testament.

So I appreciate The Upper Room’s wisdom in pairing these two verses for today’s reading. It’s refreshing to see this reminder that even the Old Testament tell us — and not just in this verse in Exodus — to offer kindness to our enemies.

These verses come to my attention at a time when I’ve been contemplating yet another famous quotation from Jesus that seems, at first glance, to conflict with them.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34)

Just two days ago, a friend and I were “solving the world’s problems” over dinner at a restaurant, and he said something startling: “There’s just one thing Jesus said that I think the world could do without: all that stuff about a sword. Way too many people misunderstand that, and a lot of people have died as a result.”

While I will not go so far as to second guess the wisdom of Jesus’s word choice, I do believe my friend is right about the misunderstanding that people have brought to this verse from Matthew.

It is clear to me — especially after considering today’s reading — that Jesus’s “sword” is not a literal one.

A little later in Matthew, in fact, we see Jesus offering his blessed advice for what should be done with a real sword: “‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.'” (Matthew 26:52)

The key to understanding that Jesus’s sword is figurative comes in the three verses that follow in Chapter 10:

“For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter—in—law against her mother—in—law. A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.  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 anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 35-37)

When Jesus says he brings a sword, not peace, he is warning that His way will often split his followers from others — even loved ones. He wants his followers to realize that his words are controversial, that sinners will often respond to them with viciousness — as if, in fact, they have been wounded by a real sword.

But that is no reason to ever put down Jesus’s (figurative) sword.

Clearly, Jesus’s “weapon” is love — the kind of love that’s described in today’s readings.  If I were to follow my friend’s inclination to edit Jesus in this matter, I might change Matthew 10:34 to something like, “Kill them with kindness.”

But of course that’s already a very popular saying. So it’s clear many people do understand Jesus’s intent. The world, in general, though can use many more reminders. But those who deliver those reminders should keep in mind it will not always be a peaceful experience.

Thanks be to God for the challenge to spread His love eternally.