Divisions and not peace?
Difficult saying of Jesus
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” (Luke 12, 51–53)
Some of us might wonder how this is in Bible. Most of us struggle to understand this. I wish to share an insight based on some readings and prayers, which probably is helpful.
The context of the gospel shows that Jesus is already in his final journey to Jerusalem in the gospel of Luke. Chapters 11 (after the teaching of Lord’s prayer) and 12 have teachings regarding discipleship which includes conflicts.
Being a disciple of Jesus is not easy, and it brings the disciples into conflictual situations, even with family. That is okay to accept, but it is difficult to accept that Jesus came to bring division. Or the angels sang on the birth of Jesus “Peace to all people of goodwill.”
I look at it in this way. It doesn’t say that division is the ultimate thing. Division is an eventuality in the life of a disciple. At the time of writing the Gospel, the division might be between the family members who are Christians and who are not Christians. This is true even in many parts of the world today.
Another extra addition, more relevant today is, the existence of Christian families where people belong to different sensibilities (left or right in terms of political labels). Each of them are doing good work as disciples in certain areas; but they struggle to accept or appreciate the some people of different sensibilities. I am not saying that we should throw away all differences (it is not possible), but does it need to divide us?
So division is a real possibility, and I don’t think even this division as the greatest difficulty or counter witness. Many a times, we not only “not appreciate” the actions of the different persons or members of family, but we also “hate” the person. I think this is the greatest counter-witness of many of us Christians (I feel myself very much here).
Jesus too experienced divisions — probably not in his family, but with many leaders of the community and others. But he never hated them, but loved them always. This gospel reminds us of the possibility of divisions, but life of Jesus and gospel in its entirety reminds us that those divisions needn’t lead to hate and hatred, even when we don’t appreciate their actions.
Love at such moments was the greatest witness of Jesus. Chance is there for us too.
