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Verse:“Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.” —Luke 12:51
In the Bible, Jesus is referred to in a variety of ways.
He is both “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5) and “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
Jesus is our “Advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1), and “ ‘Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’ ” (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29), yet He cleansed the temple in Jerusalem, driving out moneychangers while wielding a “whip of cords,” overturning tables, and scattering the moneychangers’ ill-gotten gains (John 2:15). And while the Bible calls Jesus the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), He said of Himself, “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division” (Luke 12:51). Jesus was explaining that when a person accepts the principles of heaven, that person lives from then on in opposition to the principles of the world. The gospel causes separation between a believer who walks in the Spirit and unbelievers who walk in the flesh. Just as “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4), friendship with God is enmity with the world. Believers make a serious mistake when they attempt to show the world just how much like the world Christians can be.
While it is important not to make unbelievers feel uncomfortable in their presence, Christians should not become unlike Christ in order to win others. It is genuine love that wins unbelievers to faith in Christ, not genuine compromise.
A person who yields his or her life to God may experience division on some level. It is possible a new believer’s family members might experience a difficult adjustment period. Friends might misunderstand, and colleagues might find it hard to relate. Christians should not strive to be oddballs, but they should determine to be Christian.
The differentness about a new Christian’s life may be a light that shines into the darkness of the lives of others. If you experience division because of your faith in Jesus, remember you are one with Him. That oneness with Jesus will draw others to know and love Him.