What did Jesus mean when he said he had not come to bring PEACE but a SWORD? This scripture is one of the most misrepresented by Muslims. Could it be perhaps an attempt to prove that Jesus is no different to the warlord of Islam, Muhammad? Anyone with average intelligence reading the Gospels would know that Jesus taught not to kill by the sword and that those who did so, like Muhammad, were false prophets:
“They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God” (John 16:2).
So what did Jesus say about peace and the sword?
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring PEACE to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a SWORD. 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.’ Matthew 10:34-36
If the sword was a literal sword, why would enemies become members of your household? Or does this mean something else?
The sword is NOT a LITERAL sword but a SPIRITUAL sword . The sword is the word of God:
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the SWORD of the SPIRIT, which is the WORD of God:”
Ephesians 6:17
In fact, when Peter took up a literal sword to defend Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus rebuked him and told him to put away his sword, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).
Jesus was saying his word will bring tension between believers and nonbelievers! We should seek to be at peace with all men but should never forget that Jesus warned we will be hated for His sake. Since those who reject Jesus hate him, they will hate His followers as well (John 15:18) and this is true even within families consisting of believers and non believers. However, believers, even if they come from different cultures, tribes, races etc, will be united by they belief
Muhammad, however, killed in defence of his god:
What does the Qur’an say?
8:12. (It was the time) when your Lord revealed to the angels (to convey to the believers), ‘I am with you;’ (and He commanded the angels) to make those who believe stand firm and fast, and ‘(O believers!) I will indeed strike terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So smite on (your enemy’s) necks and above these (- on their heads) and strike off all their fingertips.’