One of the Christmas  songs trumpets “peace on earh , good will to men”.

Now, this is a lovely thought  and this is what  many believe that  Jesus would be just the one to say this.

One would think so, but by His own admission  that was not to be the case.

In my play, ROAD TO BETHANY..The Passion Play, I paraphrase what Jesus said according to Luke,

“You ask me why I have come and I will tell you why I have not come.  I have not come to to bring peace on this earth..but division..Father against son.daughter against mother”.

Now why would He say that?

Because He knew that His message of compassion and  good will towards  all would not be received well by staunch believers  in the long-stranding  tenants and laws that insist, among other things, “an eye for an eye..”.

But Jesus said that we should love our enemies.

How could  they love the Samaritans who  were  a polylgot mixture of Israelites and  colonists  from the Assyrian  Empire,  who worshipped not at the temple in Jerusalem,  but at Mt Gerizim in the north?

Yet Jesus said that they should be loved,  and even used a famous parable  about the “good Samaritan” who provided  aid when  God –fearing jews would not.

So much of what Jesus preached was the very antethisis  of traditional laws..”the meek shall inherit the earth”,  not the law-keepers and the powers that be.

His message was one that encaptured the spirit of the “commandments”.

Not enough that you should not kill, but hatred toward another could be just as bad.

His message was all about “love” and there were some who were open to what He said,  but there were many others who feared or coudn’t believe  Him. thus “division”, and it occurred within families.

This man of "Peace" knew there would be no peace, again to paraphrase  Luke, in my play  He said, upon His departure, to His disciples.."there will be wars, rumors of wars, upheavals, these things must take place.."  

Incidentally, the phrase  “peace on earth good will to men” is not quite corect  taken from proverbs, what it actually says is, “peace on earth to men of good will”..there is a difference..bobnpaul

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