Romans 6:19-23
Psalm 1:1-4, 6
Luke 12:49-53
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DIVIDING IN ORDER TO UNITE
"I have come for division." —Luke 12:51
Christ gathers. He died “to gather into one all the dispersed children of God” (Jn 11:52). Though He came to gather and unite, Jesus said that He came to cause division in families in the sense that He shines His light of truth on each family member (Lk 12:52-53). In their free will, some family members have chosen not to listen to the voice of truth.
Satan divides; his purpose is to cause disunity. Satan does everything in his power to divide and isolate. This is as Jesus said: “I see an enemy’s hand in this” (Mt 13:28). After sowing disunity and dissension (see Mt 13:25), the evil one insolently dares to blame the problems on the Lord, Who is the One working to gather and unite.
So when Jesus says “I have come for division,” He is working to first divide family members from their attachment to evil. That foundational work must be done before the actual uniting and building work can begin. Jesus, the Living Word, “divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow” (Heb 4:12). He does surgery upon each person, judging “the reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Heb 4:12), much like a surgeon divides cancer cells from healthy cells, to remove the cancer from the person’s body.
Assist the Lord in His work of gathering and uniting. Allow Him to divide and detach you from any attachments which divide you from union with God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I surrender completely to You. Do in me whatever You must so You can do through me whatever You will.
Promise: "Now that you are freed from sin and have become slaves of God, your benefit is sanctification as you tend toward eternal life." —Rm 6:22
Praise: For several decades, St. John of Capistrano traveled many miles through Central Europe, preaching missions and renewing devotion in an area devastated by the plague.
(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
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