Luke 12:49-53 49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS…TWO DAY!
My Pastor talked about the Continental Divide in his sermon on Sunday. Not really what comes to mind when you think of Christmas, but he tied it together nicely. Of course, it got me thinking about the Continental Divide, a topic I had not thought about in many years! So, just to refresh your memory, (and Mine), the Continental Divide is an imaginary line marking the place where water divides itself. Not in the same body of water, but, in the same area. One side of any body of water flows into the Atlantic Ocean, the other side into the Pacific Ocean. What an interesting concept. Just think, without the Continental Divide what would happen to the water? Would it all pile up on the Atlantic side? or the Pacific side? But God figured out a way, quite unnatural anywhere else except at these ‘divides’, to divide the course of the water so it travels in opposite directions.
When Jesus came into the world, He imposed His own ‘Continental Divide’ on humanity, and, even time. Before Jesus, we count our years with; BC, Before Christ. After the birth of Jesus, it is ‘anno Domini’ , After the Death of Christ. He made divisions everywhere He went, with everything He said.
Think about it, the first time we see him in the Temple, at around age 12, he listened to the theologians of the day. He asked them questions beyond his years, astonishing the theologians and concerning his parents. He had stayed back in the Temple when they continued toward home. When He was found three days later, He reminded them that He was just doing what He should have been doing!
Another time he went to Capernaum and taught the people on the Sabbath! He had authority in His teaching so when He spoke to demons that were in someone in the crowd, they came out of Him. The authorities began to feel threatened.
As He went around the area healing the sick, befriending the hopeless, and making disciples, He was also provoking the ‘status quo’ and dividing people either for or against Jesus. As the time grew near for His death, He challenged them even more;
He picked grain on the Sabbath and rubbed it in His hands, This was considered ‘work’ and forbidden on the Sabbath. He was chastised.
He warned them about religious hypocrisy. telling them that anything they did in secret would come out into the open. A challenge I am sure many of them bristled at!
In Luke 12 He told them He came to bring the fire of division on the earth. People, even in the same family would be on opposite sides when it came to accepting the teachings and life of Jesus.
He ate with the wrong type of people, on the wrong day. He told the people to repent-or parish. He challenged the people that the way is narrow, and there is only that narrow way to get to Heaven.
There was a huge cost to following jesus, then and now! He did not come into the world to tell us all was well, give us a comforting pat on the back and allow us to continue allowing our sinful nature to take control! No, He came to show us the error of our ways and become the ‘bridge’ in that that Continental Divide’ so all people would have the opportunity to repent, turn from their wicked ways, and begin the journey over to the other sided of the divide! It’s our choice, we each, by ourselves must make it. We were not born into it, it is a choice.
What side of the divide are you on? One leads to everlasting life with Jesus. One leads to eternal damnation with the one that was kicked out of Heaven and will never return to it. Choose carefully!
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