Some passages in the Bible are harder to understand at first than others, yet if we meditate on them and balance them with other parts of the book, we can discern their meaning more clearly.
One of these passages is from Jesus Christ himself in Luke 12:51
51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but, rather division.
He goes on to explain,
52 From henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Christians might be asking, why is Jesus coming to bring division, even among close family members? Isn’t he the Prince of Peace?
We know that God doesn’t want any to perish, so we know that He isn’t creating division for his pleasure.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
What Jesus is explaining is the reality of what the truth will do in our fallen world. There will be some people who accept the truth and those who do not. Jesus Christ is the Truth, remember.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
We can see division in our world today in every aspect of society. Sometimes two groups or people who are both wrong or false are divided, yet many times it is a division based upon truth and falseness.
Maybe Christians can agree that Jesus Christ is the truth, as the Bible clearly says this, yet they still believe lies as they are deceived by Satan, represented by the world or the establishment.
Those who believe the lies from the world will eventually believe the lies about Jesus, who is the Word of God. Thus, they will not believe in the inspired Bible.
This is where the division is happening, between the truth and lies. Just look at the recent worldwide event that happened in 2020 and see how divided people are around the truth of this.
Jesus Christ is letting us know in this passage that his first coming was going to bring division among people based upon those who believe in the truth and those who believe in lies. Even among close relatives.
For instance, just look at how true Bible believers were mercilessly persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church for 1300 years; this represented the division between truth and lies, as a false religious system claiming to be Christian persecuted those who were actually true Christians.
In essence, this division separates the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares; it is a test for God to see who truly believes and who doesn’t.
The division is both specific to faith in the Holy Bible and in general according to our love of the truth and hatred of lies.
There are truths about the world we live in that tradition and established thought doesn’t allow people to believe without persecution — many times this persecution comes from those who claim to be Christian.
We have to love the truth and let the chips fall where they may. While there has been and will be division because of the truth, we just want to make sure we are on the right side, the side of Truth/Jesus Christ.
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