Luke 12:49-53--Not Peace, but Division

Luke 12:49-53
English Standard Version
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Not Peace, but Division
49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five 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 her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

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This doesn't sit well with us because we usually want to think of Jesus as "meek and mild" and the Prince of Peace, but Jesus is not talking here about making peace with God for those who belong to Him, He is talking about being at war with those that are in rebellion against Him.  Since the world is at war with Him, it will also be at war with us, but one day He baptize (immerse) all things with fire and the wicked will perish in the judgment (though they will be punished for all eternity) and the righteous will be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were able to safely stand in the fire because the Son of God was standing there with them.

When Jesus comes and changes someone's life and they belong to Him, the others in the house that do not belong to Jesus will not want to be at peace with the one that is a disciple of Christ.  Many of you know this to be true in your own families.  Family members will be forced to take sides against one another like never before.  We still love each other, but we cannot love what they believe or do if they are living in rebellion, nor will they love what we believe or do if make everything in our lives about exalting the Father, the Son and the Spirit.

There's also going to be issues with members of the family when people marry into families that are not of like mind, especially when they marry someone who is not of like mind.  Sometimes this happens because one of the married people became a Christian after getting married, but more likely this happens because the two ignored the command given in the Bible to not be unequally yoked to unbelievers.  They will pull you away from God, you will not pull them towards God.  Dating and marriage should not be seen as an evangelism technique (are you listening high school and college students?).  Let me say that again for the people that need to hear it again--Dating and marriage should not be seen as evangelism techniques to get the non-Christian into a relationship with you, trick them into loving you and then trying to manipulate them to become a Christian if they want to stay with you and marry you.  That leads to many false conversions and is at the root of many unhealthy relationships that do not model the love of Christ for His Church (the Bride of Christ).  We are to be one with each other in marriage as He is one with His Father and with us.  If you want to read more about this, see the book of Ephesians that speaks much about the need for unity and peace within the body and how this plays out in various relationships we have with each other, but the point of this passage is that we will not be able to belong to Christ and be friends with the world--even if those people who are in the world are in our own family.  Eventually we will have to choose and say, "I'd Rather Have Jesus."