Why CONTEXT is so important….

Atheists and Jewish counter-missionaries who have rejected Messiah Yeshua - and teach others to do the same - LOVE to point out that he was “mean-spirited” as evidenced by the fact that he said he didn't come bring peace to the world; but rather, a sword…

Let’s take a look at the CONTEXT of Matthew 10 which, to an immature eye, WOULD make it seem as if Messiah Yeshua had a mean streak. 

Matthew 10: 32. Whoever, therefore, that confesses me before the sons of men, he also I (will confess) before my Father who is in heaven. 33. But whoever denies me before the sons of men, he will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. 34. Do not think that I have come to bring calm on earth. I have not come to bring calm, rather a sword.

35. For I have come to divide a man from his father, and a girl from her mother. And a daughter-in-law from her mother-in-law. 36. And the adversaries of a man will be his household.[1] 37. 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.[2] 38. And anyone that does not take up his staff [3] and come and follow me is not worthy of me. 39. Whoever finds his soul will lose it, and whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it.

40. Whoever accepts you, accepts me, and whoever that accepts me, whom I send accepts him. 41. Whoever accepts a prophet in the name of a prophet a reward of a prophet will he receive. And whoever accepts a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, a reward of a righteous man will receive. 42. And anyone who gives only a cup of cold water to drink to one of these little ones, in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you that he will not lose his reward. (AENT)

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FOOTNOTES:

[1] Refers to Micah 7.

[2] Compare the phraseology in verse 37 to Luke 14:26 "he who comes to me and does not hate his father or mother is not worthy of me". Matthew's version is literal while Luke's version is idiomatic. To enter into the Kingdom of Heaven we must love Mashiyach Y'shua more than anything or anyone else. This does NOT mean that we fail to love and honor our parents. Rather, it means that however much love is lavished upon one's parents; more should be given to Y'shua.

Our love for the Kingdom of Heaven brings eternal life to both ourselves and potentially to our family members. By comparison, earthly love "looks" like hatred. YHWH is the Author of love, as we devote our love to Him, and give Him our time to worship Him and study Him and His Word, only then are we better able to love ourselves and those around us.

[3] Take up your staff and follow means to exercise your personal authority. A staff is a symbol of authority that is used for mobility and protection (see B'midbar/Numbers 17:16-25. Christian versions insert "cross" here which does not appear in either Aramaic or Greek texts.

…So yes, at first glance it would seem Yeshua wanted to bring war onto the earth, but upon closer examination we can see that he was merely referring to the Prophet Micah who wrote:

Micah 7: 1 Woe to me! for I have become like the leavings of summer fruit, like the gleanings when the vintage is finished - there isn't a cluster worth eating, no early-ripened fig that appeals to me. 2 The godly have been destroyed from the land, there is no one upright among humankind. They all lie in wait for blood, each hunts his brother with a net. 3 Their hands do evil well. The prince makes his request, the judge grants it for a price, and the great man expresses his evil desires - thus they weave it together. 4 The best of them is a briar, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The time of your watchmen - of your punishment - has come; now they will be confused.

5 Don't trust in your neighbor; don't put confidence in a close friend; shut the gates of your mouth even from [your wife], lying there with you in bed. 6 For a son insults his father, a daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a person's enemies are the members of his own household. 7 But as for me, I will look to ADONAI, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. 8 Enemies of mine, don't gloat over me! Although I have fallen, I will rise; though I live in the dark, ADONAI is my light. 9 I will endure ADONAI's rage, because I sinned against him; until he pleads my cause and judges in my favor. Then he will bring me out to the light, and I will see his justice. 10 My enemies will see it too, and shame will cover those who said to me, "Where is ADONAI your God?" I will gloat over them, as they are trampled underfoot like mud in the streets….

…15 "As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them wonders." 16 The nations will see and be put to shame, in spite of all their power. They will cover their mouths with their hands, and their ears will be deafened. 17 They will lick the dust like snakes; they will emerge from their fortresses trembling like reptiles that crawl about on the earth; they will come with fear to ADONAI our God, afraid because of you. 18 Who is a God like you, pardoning the sin and overlooking the crimes of the remnant of his heritage? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in grace. 19 He will again have compassion on us, he will subdue our iniquities. You will throw all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 You will show truth to Ya'akov and grace to Avraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors since days of long ago. (CJB)

Both Micah and Yeshua were simply stating facts: Belief in YHWH would cause all kinds of problems for mankind because humans, in general, have a hard time with obedience! The earth's inhabitants would ultimately be viewed as demonic in the "end times" with people turning against each other even in closely-knit families. This is happening today in a world where "tolerance" for all things evil reigns and where satan has been allowed to run amok!

The first time we saw people turning against each other in the Bible was when Adam accused Eve of causing him to stumble (Genesis 3:12). Then we see things being pushed even further when Cain killed Abel, and later when Cain's offspring, Lemech, also killed someone (Genesis 4). By the time of Noah in Genesis 7-9 the earth's inhabitants were so evil, YHWH destroyed everyone except for Noah and his family! And by the time we get to Genesis 19, we see mankind had already begun another "downhill slide" that caused YHWH to send the righteous Lot and his family out of Sodom and Gemorrah just before He destroyed those cities....

Throughout the Tanach we see one king trying to steer his people to Torah (YHWH's Divine Instructions in Righteousness) while the next one sends them back into "the world." Mankind has been through various ups and downs, and today, we are as bad as back in the days of Lot and Noah!

It is obvious today that YHWH has removed His Mighty Hand from the world, as is evidenced by the fact that we are beginning to experience natural disasters of "biblical proportions."

The BEST and ONLY thing we can do is to "get ourselves right with God" so that if we don't make it through these terrible tribulations, at least we can know that we have eternal life!