Peter was
learning to
read. Like every
child at this
stage, he would
read anything he
could see: road
signs, street
names, shop
names,
advertisements
and everything
else he saw,
happy to be able
to read
correctly. At
home, he would
read magazines,
newspapers and
even books. One
day he opened
the New
Testament and a
sentence got him
very scared. So
he shouted:
- Mom!… Mom!…
Frightened, his
mother came
running from the
kitchen, where
she had been a
baking cake, and
as she wiped her
hands on an
apron she
thought that her
son was hurt.
- What happened,
Peter!...
She found him
sitting on the
couch, with his
eyes wide open
and a book in
his lap.
- Mom! I read a
thing that Jesus
said, but I
think I misread
it. I do not
understand it!
- Why, honey?
-Here He says:
"I came not to
bring peace on
earth, but a
sword”! You have
always said that
Jesus spoke of
love! I think I
read it wrong,
isn’t it? -
asked the
astonished boy.
- No, honey, you
read it
correctly.
People do not
quite understand
what Jesus
meant! - his mom
said as she sat
next to him.
- What do you
mean, Mom? I
have watched a
movie where the
warriors used
swords to fight.
But not
Jesus!...
 |
- Yes, Peter.
But humankind
understood it
just as you did:
that Jesus meant
that people
should implement
His doctrine
with the force
of weapons.
- And it isn’t
like that? -
asked the boy.
- No, Peter.
Jesus meant that
His ideas would
bring confusion
and discord
among people of
the same family,
among relatives,
neighbours,
friends,
co-workers etc.
Do you know why?
Each person
thinks
differently from
one another, and
the doctrine of
Jesus would not
be accepted
without
discussion and
arguments.
|
The boy became
pensive, then he
muttered:
- It is very
complicated to
understand...
But doesn’t the
sword and
violence mean
fighting?
- Yes. But Jesus
spoke of the
sword and
violence as a
symbolic
struggle. That
is, just like
when we
endeavour to
accomplish
something that
takes work but
with which we
are happy when
we finish.
- All of this
confuses me,
Mom!
- I know it's
not easy,
darling. But
let's think
about it! How
many times does
your teacher
explain a new
subject and you
do not really
understand?
Everyone sees
things in a
different
way!...
- That’s true.
That happened
the other day.
Our teacher
began a new
lesson and told
us to read it
and then explain
it. It was a
huge mess in the
room! Only after
she read the
lesson sentence
by sentence and
explained it to
us that we
understood!
- The same
happens with the
Gospel of Jesus.
There are things
we do not
understand when
we are kids… we
need to grow up
to understand,
because we then
will have better
knowledge.
- Ah! It's true,
Mom. That's what
happened to me.
Before I learned
to read, I did
not understand
the letters in
books, cards,
newspapers… Now,
I can read
everything ...
or almost
everything!
The mother
smiled and
hugged her son,
full of
affection and
satisfaction to
see him growing
each day
physically and
mentally.
- That's right,
Peter. Every day
you get wiser!
Every year you
will study
different and
more complicated
subjects, but
everything will
be clear in your
head, because
you will have
condition to
understand! This
is what happens
with the Gospel
of Jesus.
- But what about
peace?
- When Jesus
talks about
peace, we must
understand that
it is not the
peace of those
who waste the
whole day
resting, doing
nothing. It is
the peace of
those who strive
to always do
their best,
according to
their
conscience.
Because they are
at peace with
themselves.
- Got it. When I
have a chore to
do, I get angry,
it seems that I
am going to a
fight! After I
finish, I feel
good, happy,
peaceful. When
Jesus speaks of
a sword, is that
what He
means?...
- Yes, it is a
symbolic sword,
which represents
the struggle
that each one of
us has with
ourselves to
improve, change
our hearts and
feelings, also
helping others
to change so
that the Gospel
of Jesus is
everywhere.
- Got it, Mom!
|
The boy hugged
his mother and
ran out the door
to play with his
friends. Seeing
them on the
street, Peter
invited them to
play ball. They
all agreed and
someone brought
a ball. It was a
small no-way-out
street, and they
could play
freely. They
divided the
teams,
delineated the
goal and soon
were playing.
|
 |
Suddenly, after
a goal scored by
the opposing
team, someone
shouted:
- Oh, Jesus! Now
things are going
to get ugly!...
- Do not put
Jesus in the
game because
then there will
be confusion! -
Peter said.
- What do you
mean? - someone
asked.
- Because if we
lose the game,
you will want to
fight and I do
not want to
fight with
anyone. Jesus
came to bring
the truth and
end the
darkness, but
you need to
understand what
He said.
Peter looked
around and
noticing his
surprised
friends
explained:
- Jesus said He
did not come to
bring peace, but
a sword. This
means that Jesus
knew that his
words would
cause confusion
and fights
between people
until they
understood His
words, which
will bring us
peace!
- Oh, thank
goodness ... -
and everyone
felt relieved.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
05/05/2014.)
