Saturday, April 28, 2018
Everywhere is war
Matthew 10:34
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”
Those of us who grew up in the era when Bob Marley was at the peak of his international reggae career are very familiar with the lyrics to his classic piece “War.”
“Until the philosophy which hold one race superior / And another / Inferior / Is finally / And permanently / Discredited / And abandoned – / Everywhere is war – / Me say war.”
What many might not know is that the exact origin of these lyrics is a matter of great dispute. Of course, the dispute had nothing to do with our enjoyment of this landmark piece on Marley’s album, Rastaman Vibration.
The lyrics were lifted directly from a speech given by Emperor Haile Selassie I at the United Nations in New York in 1963. Prior to this, in 1936, Haile Selassie I had made a name for himself on the international scene when he made similar statements in a speech to The League of Nations in Geneva. In the 1936 speech he had warned the world of war if certain specific issues were not addressed, three years later World War II broke out.
Emperor Haile Selassie I in his speech, and Bob Marley in his song, point to the philosophical underpinnings of the wars being fought and that would be fought. This philosophy was driven by race and led to many of the world’s inequities.
For many of us who live where there is relative peace, we tend to forget that every day there is a major conflict somewhere in the world. Everywhere is war.
Every day guns are being fired, missiles are being launched, and munitions are exploding destroying landscapes, infrastructure, communities, families and individual lives. And individual lives not just of warriors, but of the innocent, including children.
Warfare is all over the scriptures, from early in Genesis until the final wars, predicted in the Revelation, are fought. Interestingly, in the first worship service we have on record, the people gave thanks and praised God as a Man of War, “The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His name.” Exodus 15:3
Through the scriptures there is constant warfare for the people to hold on to that which God had given them, starting with Abraham going after Lot with his 318 trained warriors. Abraham got into planning and strategy and won a serious fight against multiple forces arrayed against him. Genesis 14.
Think of Joshua coming over the Jordan and the many wars fought to conquer and subdue the promised land of Canaan, starting with the battle against Jericho. Then there was the call to war Judges 5:14 and there was the scorn heaped on those who did not show up for battle Judges 5:23, “‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord, ‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly, Because they did not come to the help of the Lord, To the help of the Lord against the mighty.’”
Finally, there were all of the wars fought by the various Kings of Israel and Judah, starting with Saul and continued by David and his descendants.
Jesus, the true Massiah was prophesied and hailed to be the Prince of Peace. “And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6. Then at that time of His birth, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14. However, we are left with this contradiction of the Prince of Peace declaring in our key verse, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” Matthew 10:34.
Jesus’ declaration sounds like everywhere is war.
Jesus came to bring peace, peace between men and God. When we find peace with God we are able to find peace with our fellow men. Reconciliation with God constrains us to be reconciled with our fellow men. Nevertheless, this pursuit of peace is conducted in the midst of conflict. The original conflict between God and the devil, and all of the conflicts that stem from it, including conflicts between God’s followers and the devil’s followers, between nations, between people, and even between neighbours.
When the darkness of sin entered the world, it put us on a collision course with God and it gave rise to the philosophies that set us against each other. The weapons of our warfare were specifically designed to go up against such philosophies, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” 2 Corinthians 10:4.
If we continue down the passage in Matthew 10, Jesus situates the conflict in the family and quotes for the Old Testament in Micah 6. “For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’” Matthew 10:35,36.
This takes us back to comments we made a few devotionals ago, In our spiritual conflict we have no DMZ, buffer zone. In Ron Kenoly’s words “the church today is engaged in a spiritual warfare and the battle goes on between the kingdom of darkness and the army of God and there is no demilitarised zone, you’re either on the devil’s side or you’re on the Lord’s side.” Today’s passage tells us that those on the side of the kingdom of darkness could be anywhere, including our family.
Wherever the enemy is, we must fight the Lord’s battles. Everywhere is war.
Think on these things:
- Do you think that there are enemies of God in your family?
- What is required for you to love your family members and live in harmony with them and still fight them as enemies of God (where this applies)?
- Do you have this sense that everywhere is war?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would be loyal to our commander and wage war wherever the enemy is, including our homes, until He comes.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex