God’s Mission in Luke 12:49-53
Luke 12:49-53
Not Peace but Division
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Pondering Point
Jesus, the One known as the “Prince of Peace,” acknowledges that He brings division and strife concerning who He is – even among family members. This is one of those difficult lessons Jesus shares. Yet it’s all too real.
Yesterday we talked about the home being a prominent place to live out forgiveness and reconciliation, a place where honor and respect are to be shared.
But not everyone agrees on how to follow Jesus – or even to follow Him at all. Differences like this can bring division and strife, calling for…(guess what)… honor and respect. What it does NOT call for is rejecting, burying, or denying biblical beliefs just to keep peace at home.
This can lead to letting our family come between us and God, as Jesus alludes to in the Gospel reading today. We want to love and respect family in all matters, but not in a way that displaces God’s truth or our love and respect for Him.
Prayer for the Day
Father God, whenever differences in beliefs or spiritual matters arise, help me a strike a healthy balance between honoring You and respecting my family. I pray that my beliefs and actions draw family members to You and not drive them away. So I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.