Luke 12:51-55

Luke 12:51 (KJB)
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

When a person becomes saved, then they receive inner peace through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22 KJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, This passage speaks of peace in a different manner. This passage is not speaking of the inner peace but is speaking of the opposite of peace. Jesus had a ministry of love, mercy, and grace when He walked in this world. That type of ministry did not bring peace to the areas where He ministered. Instead, it brought opposition and hatred of Him. Wherever He went to minister, there were people who welcomed Him but there was also the religious leaders who opposed and hated Him. So even though the Lord Jesus was peace personified, that peace brought a sword of opposition and that opposition brought fighting among the people, disharmony, and disagreements. (Mat 10:34 KJV) Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. The sword may even be referring to the word of God which cuts a person right to the core and minces no words. (Heb 4:12 KJV) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The word of God is so powerful that it actually is a discerner of the thought and intents of the heart. This is what the evil leaders had feared.

Luke 12:52 (KJB)
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

Here Jesus is stating that the reality of the Gospel will bring peace between God and His children but it will bring division between people and people. Jesus is stating in this verse that even if the Gospel is a majority in a household, three against two, the two unbelievers will still be in disagreement with them causing a home to be unstable. Then even if the Gospel is in the minority, two against three, there will still be division in the house as the unbelievers may try to get the Christians to do something against the Gospel and they will refuse meaning there will be strife. The only place where there will be pure peace for the Christians will be in Heaven.

Luke 12:53 (KJB)
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.

Jesus did not intentionally come to divide families but because of the nature of the Gospel, families would have much division because of it. We read about Jewish families that hold funeral services for a child who becomes born again. In Islamic countries, those who become born again in a family of Islam, it is an instant death sentence. This is the same in Hinduism where Christians are persecuted and family members betray those who are saved. In many countries families would be urged to betray those who have become Christians. In many families, one person may become saved and they will suffer the snipes and barbs of other members of the family. In this world, Christians may have inner peace but outer peace will be very hard to find.

Luke 12:54 (KJB)
And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

Jesus now turns from His disciples and addresses the crowd. He uses another familiar subject and that is the weather. This would be familiar to those of us here in New Jersey as most of our storms come from the west. When the people look to the western sky and see the clouds gathering, then you know that you are in either for a rain shower or a good soaking. As those clouds make their way east, the rain begins to fall, so your weather forecasting was correct.

Luke 12:55 (KJB)
And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

Then Jesus points to the fact that if the wind starts coming from the south, that is, from the deserts, then there is a forecast of hot weather and it will not fail to come to pass. As I am writing this on 7/16/13, we are going through a period of very hot weather caused by a Bermuda High coming up from the south bringing hot air. Temps in the upper 90’s (35-40 C) with humid air pumping up the temperature more.

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