Peace or Division?

Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be 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 daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. (Luke 12:51-53)

Did Jesus mean that he wants people to be at enmity with each other? Of course not. But, inevitably, he and his teaching divide people. Those who embrace him and those who reject him will have differing world views, differing priorities, differing standards, differing attitudes, differing hopes, differing loves. They will think differently, act differently, talk differently, and choose differently from one another. Sometimes people of the world will find at least some of those differences irritating or offensive. Sometimes that will lead to strained or even severed relationships. As Jesus warns, that division may affect even the closest of human ties. But “loyalty to Christ has to take precedence of the dearest loyalties of this earth” (William Barclay).

It is joyous when people are at peace with one another. But the objective of the gospel is peace with God (Romans 5:1). It’s natural, of course (or should be!), for those who have been brought into fellowship with God to be also at peace with one another (see Ephesians 2:11-22; Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:13b). The reaction of the world, on the other hand, will not always be friendly (John 15:18-19).

God tells us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18). But we cannot expect that all men will be at peace with us. While we want peace and good relations with others, let’s beware of wanting that peace so badly that we compromise our faith in pursuit of it. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37-38).

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