Sowing Family Discord

doubtingmerle

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A man once said, "I am come to set a man at variance with his father and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.”

Do you consider this to be a good purpose in life?

Who said it? See Matthew 10:35.
 

Mark Quayle

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A man once said, "I am come to set a man at variance with his father and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.”

Do you consider this to be a good purpose in life?

Who said it? See Matthew 10:35.
Was it a stand-alone-statement? Was it rhetorical? Was it part of a broader message? Was it the only reason he came?
 
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The context seems to have been this:

"Go forth and preach to the the kingdom of Israel. Make all Christians that you can. Don't worry if people don't believe you, don't worry that you won't be able to think of what to say, and don't worry if people insult and abuse you. You're doing the right thing. Many people will reject you, but that's alright; because unless someone really loves me, more than their own loved ones, I don't want them. Yes, this will cause a lot of trouble and argument, and unhappiness and distress for many; but it must be done.
Oh, and you'd better hurry up, because the end of the world is coming, so you don't have long."

That seems to be the basic meaning of the context. When you read Jesus' words, his meaning seems pretty plain.
 
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doubtingmerle

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Was it a stand-alone-statement?
No. In context it says:

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
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.
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. Matthew 10:34-36​

That sounds like sowing family discord.

Was it rhetorical?

Yes. Per Webster's dictionary, rhetorical means, "expressed in terms intended to persuade or impress." I think Jesus was here trying to persuade, yes. Your point being?
Was it part of a broader message?
Yes.

It is a disturbing part of that broader message.
Was it the only reason he came?
No.
 
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FireDragon76

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What is being spoken here is how divisive truth can be when people don't want to hear it (haven't we seen that all too often in the past four years in the US?). It's not praising family discord, that wouldn't make sense given the first century Jewish context of Jesus.
 
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