"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. 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 one's enemies will be those of his household.' "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple — amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns. (Mt 10:34-11:1)
Peace and unity are the pillars on which the kingdom of God is built. Division which is just the opposite of peace and unity is considered the scandal of the kingdom. But here Jesus says that he has come to bring not peace but sword. He seemed to say that he has come to cause division among people. In fact that is what he says as the reading proceeds.
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 one's enemies will be those of his household.' He clearly says that the division in the family comes because of their attitude towards God and Jesus.
Those who are in the kingdom or those who want to belong to the kingdom should have their priorities right. The first and the top most priority is God. That is the primacy of God. After this the members can have any number of relatives and friends. Jesus is not against the family relations or friends. They have their roles and their places.
