To Send Fire on the Earth" (Matt. 10:34-37, Luke 12:49-53)
Christianity is regarded most often in peaceful terms. At Jesus' birth, the angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). Even more important, Christianity advocates love, not hate, even for our enemies. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matt. 5:9). How, then, do we understand what Jesus is saying in these verses?
"Jesus here dispels the mistaken opinion that some of the disciples apparently had, that the message they were to bear would result in nothing but harmony. They were not to be surprised, in their house-to-house work ..., if differences arose as a result of their ministry. . . . When a [person] accepts Christ his closest friends often turn out to be [the] most bitter and relentless enemies. This is often true, not only in heathen lands, but also in Christian lands and among professed Christians who practice a form of religion but know little if anything of its power to transform the life."—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, pp. 379, 380.
From your experience as a Christian, and from what you know of Jesus through other texts, what do you believe Jesus is telling us here, and why are these words so important for discipleship? See also Matt. 10:24, 25.
The important point to remember is that following Jesus will cost us big, one way or another. If it does not, then perhaps something is wrong. Maybe we are deceiving ourselves. In the end, we must realize that our witness and life of discipleship, of discipleship in action, can lead to dissension and division among even those to whom we are the closest. It does not always have to be that way, but Jesus wants us to realize that it can, and not to be surprised by it when it does.
What has following Christ cost you, at least in terms of relationships with others? What have you learned in your own experience that could help you disciple someone else who is struggling because his or her faith has, as Jesus said it would, brought division into their life?
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