The passage reads: "Do not think I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace, but a sword." (Mat 10:34) Was Jesus here talking about literal physical conflict? No, for the night before his death we read: "And while he was yet speaking, look! Judas, one of the twelve, came and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests and older men of the people....But, look! one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest and took off his ear. Then Jesus said to him: 'Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.'" (Mat 26:46-52) In essence Jesus was telling the one who struck the high priest's slave, "No, this is not the Christian way", emphasizing that his followers were not to engage in physical conflict. This is further underlined when Jesus was speaking to Pontus Pilate, when he said "“My kingdom is no part of this world. If my kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have _FOUGHT_ that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not from this source.” " (John 18:36) Jesus made clear that his kingdom was no part of this world, and as such, his followers would have no reason to fight because there was nothing for them to gain through physical battle. Reading the entire passage then in context, we read: "Do not think I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace, but a sword. For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a young wife against her mother-in-law. Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household.... He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me... And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me. He that finds his soul will lose it, and he that loses his soul for my sake will find it." (Mat 10:34-39) The point is that true followers of Christ would suffer persecution, even at the hands of their own family members who "because you do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of YOU." (1 Peter 4:4; Luke 21:16) Jesus never condoned physical violence on the part of his followers, but said that they would be "objects of hatred" even by their own families (Mat 10:21-23).

This was in a Watchtower from 7/15/2001: ("Persecuted yet Joyful" "Why has there been such success in the harvest work? Because anointed Christians and their companions have heeded Jesus’ instructions: “What I tell you in the darkness, say in the light; and what you hear whispered, preach from the housetops.” (Matthew 10:27) However, we can expect hardships, for Jesus warned: “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and will have them put to death.” Jesus further said: “Do not think I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:21, 34) Jesus did not deliberately set out to divide families. But the good news sometimes had that effect. The same is true of God’s servants today. When we visit families, it is not our intention to introduce a divisive factor. It is our desire that everyone embrace the good news. Therefore, we try to approach all members of a family in a kind, sympathetic way that makes our message appealing to those “rightly disposed for everlasting life.”—Acts 13:48.")