Jesus says: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division”

Jesus says: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division”

MESSAGE SUMMARY:

From the Gospel of Luke (12:49-56): “Jesus the Divider”

Introduction: While Jesus does bring us “Peace”, Jesus tells us that His ways are not always our ways; and Jesus does not always bring us “Peace”. In the world, we have tabulation; but Jesus has overcome the world. However, Jesus tells us, in Luke 12:49-56, that He, also, brings “division”. Today, like in the time period of Luke’s Gospel, we need to pay attention to God’s signs in the world.

Today’s Message: If we are serious about being a follower of Jesus today, we need to listen to Jesus in Luke 12:49-56. Jesus begins His Simon, to many thousands starting in Luke 12:49, with His “fire of persecution”: “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! In this passage, “fire” does not mean the Holy Spirit; “fire” means the “fire of persecution” – which is “when the Gospel is preached without compromise”. This “fire” is the hostility that occurs when the world hears the Gospel preached without compromise.

Jesus continues, in Luke 12:50, with: “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!”. Jesus uses “baptism” to refer to His immersion in death and His separation from the Father on the cross, but death would not hold Him. Continuing with Luke 12:51, Jesus tells us: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”. How does this statement of “division” rather than “Peace” reconcile to Jesus’ other statements regarding His bringing “Peace” into the world?

This apparent contradiction, regarding Jesus and His “Peace”, can be addressed by considering the five ways the word “Peace” is used in the Bible [as presented in the audio teaching]: 1) an attribute of God; 2) fruit of the Holy Spirit: 3) a state of mind; 4) absence of conflict; and 5) being in right relationship with God through Jesus. Therefore, when Jesus, in Luke 12:51, says that: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”, Jesus is referring to the Bible’s use of “Peace” regarding an “absence of conflict”. Jesus is telling His followers that He, the Gospel, and His followers have come to disrupt and confront. However, Jesus wants to have “Peace” in the other four contexts of “Peace”.

In Jesus, we do have “Peace”; but when we do stand with and for Jesus, “division” and conflict are created. In this passage from Luke, Jesus wants His followers to know that following Him will have a cost in terms of conflict and worldly tribulation. Many in and of the world will not tolerate our communication of the Gospel. Jesus is not saying that “division” is good. Rather, Jesus, in John 17:22-23, expresses His desire, to the Father, for His followers to all be one with Him and the Father. However, Jesus is warning us that “division” is inevitable because we are human and sinners.

Jesus ends His message to those assembled, in Luke 12:54-56, with: “He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?’". In this passage, Jesus was pointing toward His purpose on earth and the cross; but no one understood His message at the time period of His teaching in Luke – they could not read God’s signs. Do we see and follow God’s signs, or do we miss them and become party to creating “divisions”?

 

TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen.     Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 12:49-56; Luke 3:21; John 14:27; Judges 6:24; Romans 15:33; Philippians 4:9; Romans 16:20; Ephesians 2:13; John 16:36; John 17:22-23; Psalms 28:1-9.

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