Division and the Peace of God – Luke 12

A text – Luke 12:49-56

12:49 “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
12:50 I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!
12:51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!
12:52 From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three;
12:53 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.”
12:54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens.
12:55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens.
12:56 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?

A reflection:

Jesus says here “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” He paints a picture of households divided.

It may be that, in a time of many religious interpretations and sects, in a country that had been divided and divided again many times, Jesus wanted his followers, both his disciples and the many followers in the crowd, to know that the picture of the Messiah that many had been taught, someone to overthrow the invaders’ might and bring peace and prosperity forever to Israel, was a mistaken picture. Jesus does bring peace, the peace, the shalom of God, but that peace is about the believer sacrificing her/his time and money to make life better for someone else, to serve the other and thereby serve God. And that kind of life is anything but peaceful. Other people question her/his sanity, other people mock her/his deeds, and sometimes this leads to the believer losing the tranquility of the life he or she led before s/he heard and accepted God’s call.

Jesus is pointing out that life will always have strife and people will always be mistreated, and God’s call is to go out into those times of strife and look for ways of helping, of being God’s loving hands in the midst of strife.

In these days of deep division, we might be afraid to go out, to even look out at the divided world around us. But this passage of Luke says “Look at these crazy times! Go out and see what peace you can bring. Do not fear for yourselves. God has already given you the kingdom. It is yours to share with those who most need it.”

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you giving us the Kingdom and your peace. Help us to find someone who needs to share in that Kingdom and that peace today.  Amen.