The Islamic counter, however, is not done
to prove that Islam is a religion of peace, but rather that Muhammad
is not the only one who taught and performed such wicked deeds. They follow the
3rd grade concept of “everyone else does it,
therefore it is okay”. Of course, I am speaking to the majority of the Islamic
community. There does exist a small percentage of Muhammadans who truly fashion
counter arguments which do not include trying to dress Christ in a robe of
Islamic reflection to justify their prophet’s teachings. Yet, when we look at
the majority of Muslim debaters, we see that the counter argument is not really
a means to show us that Islam is a religion of peace, but that Jesus was not the
founder of a religion peace as well.
One of the main verses which they bring
up is found within the 10th chapter in the gospel of Matthew:
[34] Think not that I am come to
send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
[35] For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
[35] For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Within the following passages, we see
that Jesus is sending out his disciples to preach. In an attempt reveal the
Christian mission to his followers, he uses the analogy of the sheep among
wolves. The answer to why such an analogy is fit for this task is then giving
by Christ. He begins to tell them that the world will bring them to governors
and kings to be punished. He tells them that the Jewish council will have them
beaten in their places of worship. Also, the one that is most important for
this post, is when
Christ tells them that their own family members shall stand in betrayal and have
them put to
death.
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[16] Behold, I send you forth as
sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as
doves.
[17] But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
[18] And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
[19] But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
[20] For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
[21] And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
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[17] But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
[18] And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
[19] But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
[20] For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
[21] And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
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Many may come to ask why such
betrayals and mistreatments against the Christian community will take place?
Jesus provides the answer in the following verse. He tells them that they will be hated for his name’s sake. In other words, they are being mistreated
because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
An important thing to note within
this same passage, which I will talk about more in another post, is that
Christ completely launches the belief of” once saved always saved” within the
walls of falsehood. Such who hold on to this doctrine teach that once a
Christian is saved, he can do whatever it is that he wants, including leaving
Christianity all together. However,
Jesus says that those who ENDURE TO THE END will be saved. Jesus is telling all
of us that persecution is one of the many reasons why Christians will leave the
faith. Many are not able to handle such mistreatments performed by those who
walk in harmony with the ways of the world. Jesus tells them that they must
endure, and only those who endure ( stay on the Christian path) will be saved.
In other words, if they walk away from Christ, hence do not endure, they will
not be saved.
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[22] And ye shall be hated of all
men for my name's sake: but he that endureth
to the end shall be saved.
[23] But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
[23] But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
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We will now skip a few verses and
come to the relevant passage which many bring forth in an attempt to prove that
Christ was anything but a promoter of peace and tranquility. When we come to read
this passage through the lens of the previous verses which we looked at, we can
finally come to REALLY understand what Jesus was trying to say. Before Christ tells his disciples that he has
not come to bring peace, but a sword, he already informed them that they would
be as sheep among wolves. He already made sure that they understood that because of their faith in him, many, including THOSE OF THEIR OWN HOUSEHOLD,
will betray them. He also told them that they should ENDURE such mistreatments
and persecutions. When one endures something, this means that he is not the
offender, but the VICTIM. If such things are so, how can Jesus then go on to
say that his goal is to be the offender and to purposely divide us from our
loved ones? What is the real meaning behind his statement?
Jesus bringing a sword to divide us
from our household is not an intentional doing. Such things are not what Jesus
wants us to perform. Rather, what he is doing is speaking to the fact that our
enemies will be the members of our very own families. THESE people will and can
be the ones who will betray us unto death. It is THESE people who will hate us. Hence, the reason why Jesus brought a sword and the reason why
it divides is because those who follow his teachings will be persecuted and and hated because of the world’s and their household's hatred of both Christ and his
message.
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[34] Think not that I am come to
send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
[35] For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
[36] And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------[35] For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
[36] And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
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