Newness of Life
Jesus said to his Apostles: “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 up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Peace and a Sword? Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. I think we all know what Christ meant by the word “peace.” But do we all know what He meant by the word “sword?” Probably not.
The sword is the word of God. St. Paul uses the sword beautifully in his letter to the Ephesians where he writes:
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the evils of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:11-17).
The Christian is, in essence, another Christ. He is, like Christ, a soldier who fights not against man but for man. His enemy is not man but all that entraps and engulfs the human heart. His defense (breastplate) are his virtues. His shield is his faith, hope and love. His sword is simply the Word of God, the truth. The sword, like the truth has the capability of dividing and uniting, of surrendering or resisting.
In life, not everything can be “proven” beyond a doubt. Yes, the sword, like the truth, has the ability to divide families and anger men. But it also has the potential of opening wounds to heal them. When the angel Gabriel spoke of a sword piercing the heart of Mary, did he mean it literally? No. The word of God would come into her heart, pierce her heart and relieve her heart.
No wonder why Mary kept “all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:19). We should too.