THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 12:49-53
“Bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”(Luke 12:51)
Jesus came to bring peace, and yet many have suffered and died.
The division Jesus speaks of isn’t His goal, but an unfortunate side result.
Because Jesus is standing up to sin and Satan, they fight back.
To stand up for Jesus causes others to stand up against us.
To join with Jesus in loving and serving sinners agitates others.
Especially, as Jesus notes, those that are close to us, our families.
I knew a Jewish Christian who was disowned by his family.
His father told him he was dead to them, and they never spoke again.
This is not Jesus’ fault, but it is an undesired consequence.
Jesus takes this risk IN ORDER to bring real peace to the world.
By beating Satan and sin, peace will be the eventual result.
We stand up to evil, not because its nice or easy, but because its right.
It will lead to hardship, maybe even death, but it is still worth it.
Jesus followers refuse to let Satan win, even if it disturbs our ‘peace’.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, short term hardship in opposing evil is better than letting evil win. Help me not to settle for my own peace, while the rest of the world suffers for lack of it.