"'Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, 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
I have been thinking about this today. I recently heard a fellow Christian make reference to this verse to describe the divisions within the church. He used the scripture to explain why there is so much arguing and disagreement in the church body. At the time, I think I blindly nodded in agreement that, yes, Jesus did not promise peace. But, I think that I was wrong in thinking that applied to the church. Jesus promised division, but I think that was in reference to division between believers and non-believers. I don't think that Jesus meant to bring division between his followers. Christians should be united in the grace given to us through the blood of Christ, which has saved our souls. I cannot allow the above verse to excuse away the responsibility that we as Christians have to strive for peace and unity. I can't sit idly by and say, "Yeah, none of us get along, but then Jesus said that would happen. Oh well." I don't think any of us can! Have we forgotten the commandment?
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." -Mark 12:29-31
And, I just noticed something! I never saw this before. But, in that scripture, Jesus lists two actual commandments - "the most important one" and "the second is this" - yet, his last statement says "There is no
COMMANDMENT greater than these." (emphasis added). Commandment. Singular. He speaks of two things, but calls them a commandment instead of commandments. It's like the two things are one thing. If you love the Lord, you love your neighbor. You can't love your neighbor unless you love the Lord. They go hand in hand. You can't do one without the other. If that's the case, we had better be loving our neighbors, RIGHT?! And, that definitely includes our brother and sisters in Christ.
"If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." -Mark 3:24
"If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand." -Mark 3:25
I don't know what our problem is. I'm not saying that every Christian will see issues in the same light. We won't agree on everything. We don't have to! But, we do agree that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. And, because of that, all other things should go by the wayside. The things I have been seeing within the Body of Christ have broken my heart. I'm guessing God's heart is broken also.
