Exploring the Text: Jesus and division
We sometimes thing of Jesus as coming to bring peace and harmony, and in a sense, that is accurate. He came to bring us back to a place of peace with God and with each other. Even his prayer in John 17 is all about unity among his followers. So why is it that in this passage, he says he did not come to bring peace, but a sword, to bring division instead of unity?
In general, unity is a good thing. Unity around something that is harmful, however, is not a good thing. Yes, Jesus wants to bring peace, unity, and harmony, but he also wants to bring what is true, good, and right. If he needs to create division to bring us back to God, then he is willing to do that. As we look at the life of Jesus, we can see the controversy he created, the division he caused, that ultimately lead to his crucifixion. Jesus understands that the only real unity we can find is unity in and through God. Consequently, he is willing to create division, create conflict, if doing so can break us away from what is harmful and bring us back into real unity with him and with the Father. Jesus doesn’t just want happy-go-lucky, anything goes, nothing really matters false unity. He wants us in real, significant, eternal unity in and through God, and he is willing to fight with us to make it happen.
We sometimes thing of Jesus as coming to bring peace and harmony, and in a sense, that is accurate. He came to bring us back to a place of peace with God and with each other. Even his prayer in John 17 is all about unity among his followers. So why is it that in this passage, he says he did not come to bring peace, but a sword, to bring division instead of unity?
In general, unity is a good thing. Unity around something that is harmful, however, is not a good thing. Yes, Jesus wants to bring peace, unity, and harmony, but he also wants to bring what is true, good, and right. If he needs to create division to bring us back to God, then he is willing to do that. As we look at the life of Jesus, we can see the controversy he created, the division he caused, that ultimately lead to his crucifixion. Jesus understands that the only real unity we can find is unity in and through God. Consequently, he is willing to create division, create conflict, if doing so can break us away from what is harmful and bring us back into real unity with him and with the Father. Jesus doesn’t just want happy-go-lucky, anything goes, nothing really matters false unity. He wants us in real, significant, eternal unity in and through God, and he is willing to fight with us to make it happen.