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Establishing God's Peace
Jesus, Source of Division [Luke 12]
49"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!50"But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!51"Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52for from now on five members in one household will be divided, 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."
When I think of Jesus, I don't think of Him as a source of division in my family. However, here it is clearly stated from His own recorded words
,
"Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division..."
. The picture I have in my mind is that the "real Christian family" is one that is unified in faith, happily attending church together and saving the world while they are at it. But the reality in my own family is so far from that false picture I have in my mind. My Mom, my youngest daughter and her husband and myself are the only Christians in our immediate family. I have an unbelieving husband, two unbelieving sons, one unbelieving daughter and her unbelieving husband. Don't get me wrong, we all love each other and get along really well, but a mention of Christ does bring strife and division.
As much as I hate that the majority of my family has rejected Christ for the time being, I am comforted by these words that the division in my family is not my failure. And that this divided family is what Jesus predicted would be the norm. My heart is that my family members would enter into a viable relationship with Jesus who also said in this passage, "
But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
He willingly endured great pain so that some would be saved. There is division in families and all over this earth because of Christ and His death and resurrection that turned this world upside-down.
I pray daily and earnestly for the salvation of my family. My heart does break over their unbelief and the pain they endure because of it. I ache to have prayer with my own husband and to hear Him talk about Jesus as His friend and Savior. And daily I relinquish my family into the hands of my Lord and let Him do whatever it is He needs to do. I receive His comfort that this is how things need to be today and hope in God for Him to bring each one to Himself. It is no longer my failure or my problem. God is the Savior, not me. He has chosen to be the source of division and by His grace, I accept His role and fill with His love, peace and joy and let it spill out on those close to me as well as on whoever God brings into my life.
May you let the God of salvation be the source of division in your life and fill you with grace to love and walk in joy and peace in the midst of it.
Beth Warlick, 3/6/2009
Feedback:
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