The more we read the Bible, the more we see things we might wish Jesus never said. This passage is one of them: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Did any of us come to church today to hear him say that?

This is the season for family reunions. Most of us have been in gatherings that include fathers, mothers, grandparents, and children. It it is somewhat disturbing to come to church today and hear Jesus say, “I have come to set a man against his father.”

I recall a big family wedding. The highlight for one father was not hearing the vows, throwing the birdseed, or eating a slice of cake. It was watching his four-year- old girl walk down the aisle in a white dress. This time she was only the flower girl, but you can gu…