Test of Unrivalled Love

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Mat 10:34)

The Lord said some profound things in this portion of Scripture namely talking about the sword bringing division. Didn’t He come as Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6)? The people set in variance in this situation are not enemies but those who belong to a household (Matt 10:36); spouse, parents, children, in-laws. The context of the message is the about the cost of discipleship, about unrivalled love.

A believer once saved is to come out of the world and our love and affection is turned from it toward God (1 John 3:15, Matt 22:37).  Beyond being saved out of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of His love (Col 1:13), discipleship is the pilgrimage of faith that no believer is spared from journeying through. Absolutely no escape in order to raise many sons to glory (Heb 2:10), saved in spirit and now to the saving of the soul (Heb 10:39); mind, will and emotions. How much of our mind bears semblance to the mind of Christ and not of self. A will totally submitted to the Father to seek to glorify Him and not of us and heart that have only one desire and adoration, for God and God alone. It is carnality that He wants to save us from, even the self good trumped up by self effort and celebration of self achievement, void of faith (Heb 11:6). What more can be more telling than our affections and He seeks undivided love? Between the good of family and the best, Him, there will be situations where the sword of division will come.

Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:35)

The Lord brought a sword between Abraham and Isaac (Heb 11:17) and the old patriarch obeyed not by logical reasoning and fatherly affection but by faith alone. Jesus brings the sword in our good and most loving relationships so that He would know…‘for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me’ (Gen 22:12). Hannah had the sword pierced through her heart to release her son so he ‘shall be lent to the LORD’ (1 Sam 1:28). The cost to Hannah is not just handing her answer to prayer to live under a backslidden priest and exposed to his sons that commit vileness, but also going against what is the ‘normal’ motherly thing to do. Such a life is beyond normal but supernatural because there is a plunging into the depth of faith without human conclusions. The cost to Hannah birthed the prophetic ministry that anointed kings and brought about the promise of a everlasting kingdom (Psa 132:11)! Mary had her share of the sword piecing through her heart at the wedding of Cana (John 2:4, Matt 12:47-50) and finally seeing her son on the cross, the justice of the Holy God meted out for mankind.

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. (Matt 10:38)

The cost of discipleship is very dear. It invites the piercing sword of Christ to separate soul and spirit (Heb 4:12) so that the soul will be brought into subjection to the spirit (Rom 8:9,10) made alive to God. The deepest part of our soul will be tested….’ lovest thou me more than these?’ (John 21:15). Will we pass the gruesome (in man’s calculation, but with the glorious intent of God) test in the cost of discipleship?