“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 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. (Matthew 10:34–39 ESV)
This passage can sound harsh, but it reminds us of a very real truth. There is no neutral. Sometimes we think we can skirt around the edges so we don’t hurt anyone’s feelings, and we do need to be careful with what we say. However, God never tells us not to offend anyone. He says blessed are they who are not offended by Him. “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Matthew 11:6 ESV)
The peace that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came to bring was between God and man, not God and the world. With that peace is a separation from the world. The sword of God comes in and separates us from what is not of God. That is one reason we are able to have peace, the ways of the world lead to death and we are on the path to life, peace.
But what about the secular realm? Politics? Work? School? Our faith is to reach into all the corners of our life. There should not be a hidden corner where we keep God out, or think we can keep Him out. God should affect our politics, work, school, and everything else.
Let’s think about this. What if your job asked you to lie about something? Would you do it? It’s just work and you need to provide for your family. So, how about it?
Hopefully your answer is “No.” At least, “I know I shouldn’t.” So we see that our moral convictions follow us wherever we go. How then can there be a “secular” realm?
We are given two options in life, the path to life or the path to death. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13–14 ESV) Where is the neutral ground? Where does secularism fall? Secularism pushes God out of life, and, therefore, is obviously on the path to death.
We see then a sharp contrast between what is right and what is wrong. We also see that we must hold firm to the truth of God even if it means losing our family. There have been many parents who can’t stand to see their children follow after death. Instead of instructing their children, the parents follow along behind them. Parents have left the church because their children wanted to chase after LGBTQ+. That’s what this verse is talking about with setting families against one another.
Jesus gave another lesson that we should consider the cost of discipleship before we agree to it. It is a hard road, it is the more difficult path. We want to be liked by others. We don’t want to be disagreeable and rain on people’s parades. But remember, there is no neutral. We have to stand on God’s truth even while the world is standing on Satan’s lies.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26–33 ESV)
So, let our words be seasoned with salt (Col. 4:6), outdo one another in showing honor (Rom. 12:10), and let us contend for the faith (Jude 3). Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matt. 10:16). Let us be the light of the world (Matt. 5:14), which is no neutral place, but illuminates the path to God.
WORD UP 