There are some verses in the Bible that left by themselves can be very confusing. Luke 12 49-59 is one such section. “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 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 12:49-53
And I wonder, how can the Prince of Peace come to cause division? What will families have to fight about? Why will they be divided? And what fire is he kindling?
This is followed by some more confusing verses. “He said to the crowd, ‘When you see a cloud arising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?’” Luke 12:54-56
I wonder who was in the crowd he was talking to? I wonder what tone of voice Jesus was using when he was addressing this crowd. Was he yelling? Was he sounding more like a parent pleading with a child to understand something important?
“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” Luke 12:47-59
Why are we suddenly talking about a magistrate judging between two people and being thrown into prison? These verses make much more sense to me if they are kept in context and together. Just prior to these statements, Jesus had been talking about being ready for the master’s return. I get a sense of urgency from these verses. Jesus is realizing he will soon be going to the cross and he is the only one there who is aware of the immensity of his death and resurrection. It is THE turning point in the history of mankind. It is the fatal blow to Satan and his armies. I believe the ‘kindling’ of the fire he is referring to is the beginning of the body of Christ – the church. And just as one ember warms the next, we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those around us and they ‘catch it’ and tell the ones next to them and so on.
But how does this cause the divisions among people even within families? Why does the Prince of Peace cause division? Is it possible that there is more than one kind of peace? Our English language is so deficient sometimes. I believe Jesus truly is the Prince of Peace. There is a peace that comes to us even in troubled times when we know and trust in Jesus as our Savior and believe that we have an eternal destination with him. But we don’t have to look far to see that there is division especially in families when some believe and some don’t. Individuals within a family who turn to faith are often ostracized and humiliated. Sometimes they are totally locked out from family activities – as if they were never born. This is especially true if the family has a different religion that they take seriously. Yes, there is division when families don’t agree on who the true God is and what it means to accept the grace Jesus offers through his death on the cross.
The fact that Jesus calls his listeners “Hypocrites” makes me think there were some religious leaders in his crowd. That is a word he uses more than once in addressing Pharisees and Teachers of the Law. I think he is getting after them for not interpreting prophecy better. They are not seeing that he is the Christ, the Messiah, the promised one. He is trying to tell them that this is the ‘Big Event’ they have all been waiting for and chant about in their prayers. It is imperative that they open their eyes and ears and get this message!
And when he refers to being drug by your adversary to the judge, I believe he is referring to the urgency of understanding that we are in the last days. It is time NOW to get things straight between us and God. Judgment is coming and it will go so much better if we have Jesus interceding for us.
As if to confirm this, Jesus refers to several incidents of sudden death to a group of people (Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices and those who were under the tower of Siloam when it fell) and indicates that those people were no more or less guilty than anyone else. But he follows it with, “But unless you repent, you too will perish.” Luke 13:3,5 Again, there is urgency. We don’t know when our life on this earth will come to a close. Jesus is urging us to choose to follow God’s ways, to accept the gift of grace he is offering – before it is too late.
And then, we see the heart of God that no one should perish in the story of the fig tree that is not producing. The gardener asks for permission to take special care of it for a year before giving up on it. Waiting and nurturing – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9
We have an urgent message – repent now – judgment is near – and we have a patient God waiting and nurturing in hopes that more will find their way home to him.
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