Luke 12:49-13:9: Peace with God Will Cost You Peace on Earth

Introduction

https://nypost.com/2021/08/27/newlyweds-send-240-bill-to-guests-who-were-wedding-no-shows/

To not attend their wedding cost guests $240 - and in all likelihood - cost friendships.

If you don’t follow Jesus, it will cost you. If you follow Jesus, it will cost you. NOT following Jesus will cost you an eternal relationship with Him. On the other hand, following Jesus will cost you something in this life.

A shocking statement from Jesus this morning: Peace with God will cost you peace on earth.

I know what you’re thinking… “Isn’t the whole reason why Jesus came was to give us peace on earth?” (Luke 2:14)

If Jesus came to give us peace on earth, how can He say that peace with God will cost you peace on earth? That’s not all that Jesus tells us in this passage.

If following Jesus means I might not have peace on earth, is it worth it to follow Jesus?

More hard words of Jesus that call us to think about what peace with God costs us and why following Jesus is worth the cost. Three reminders from this passage of Scripture that help us remember what it costs us to follow Jesus and why it is worth the cost.

Peace with God will cost you relationally.

“I came to bring fire on earth...” That doesn’t sound good. And… “I wish it were already set ablaze!” Meek and mild Jesus wants to bring fire? And bring it now?

Fire = judgment of God. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). Fire also = purification. Christians walk through this life experiencing the purifying fire of trials and struggles (1 Peter 1:7). Unbelievers will experience the fire of God’s judgment.

BUT… NO ONE has to experience the fire of God’s judgment because Jesus was willing to be consumed by the fire of God’s judgment at the cross. He was BAPTIZED (vs. 50) into the fire of God’s judgment.

Jesus thinking about the cross. He’s on the way to Jerusalem. He knows what awaits Him. He wants to see the Father’s will accomplished through his death and resurrection. The work that is before Him consumes Him (vs. 50). ESV = it distresses Him. Think about struggle in Garden of Gethsemane, yet for the joy set before Him Jesus endured the cross. (Humanity of Jesus.)

This is good news for sure! BUT, it’s bad news for those who choose to reject Jesus as Lord. For those who reject Jesus as Lord they will experience the fire of God’s judgment.

AND… this Gospel message is divisive. Jesus saw it in His day. He saw how people were choosing sides. Some embraced Him while many Jews rejected Him because He didn’t bring the peace they anticipated that the Jewish Messiah would bring.

Jesus saw how the truth of who He was divided His own family (Mark 3:21).

Jesus words seem staggering: “NOT peace on earth but division.” Then quotes from Micah 7:6 - (See Micah 7:7) The prophet prophesied about the breakdown of families in his own day, and now Jesus says that His work would break apart families as well.

AND… this Gospel message is divisive. Jesus saw it in His day. He saw how people were choosing sides. Some embraced Him while many Jews rejected Him because He didn’t bring the peace they anticipated that the Jewish Messiah would bring.

You’ve seen it in your family. To stand with Jesus means new purpose, new way of life. A purpose and life your lost family does not share. You hear it: “You take your faith too serious.” Or, “Your faith is making you so judgmental.”

Sea eagle boat with three seats - Not a good idea. So easy to be divided with people who love Jesus… MUCH less - the REAL division with family who don’t love Jesus.

You cannot settle for a fake peace.

Peace is NOT going along to get along. (Don’t want to rock the boat so you compromise your faith when with the people you love.)

Peace is NOT keeping your mouth shut about your faith. (Avoiding difficult conversations does NOT help you be a gospel witness to your family.)

Peace is NOT disobeying God to please your family.

You’re trying to keep the peace, but are we really keeping the peace?

You must work for true peace. (Blessed are the peacemakers)

Keep praying for the people you love.

Keep pursuing the people you love.

Keep living out your faith and leave it in God’s hands.

Keep speaking about your faith with compassion and wisdom and leave it in God’s hands.

Keep leaving your family in God’s hands.

Peace with God will cost you your now.

Hard words - Relationship with Jesus would cost His followers many relationships in this life, but it would also cost them their now.

God has given you NOW - today - BUT many do not know how to interpret what God is doing NOW.

What you can interpret really well: the weather. You see the clouds coming, and you know a storm is brewing. You walk outside and it’s hot: “It’s hot out here...” Now… tracking storms in the Atlantic.

BUT… not experts in interpreting the times.

We KNOW when a rainstorm is coming, but we MISS the evidence pointing to greatest coming storm. Jesus to the crowd: “A storm of judgment is coming. It could not be more clear.” Jesus present to take the storm and to reject Him - the storm will come for you. Jesus gave ample evidence through His teaching and miracles, but hard hearts failed to discern the times.

In their NOW they missed the Messiah - Are you missing Jesus and His work in your now? Evidence of the work of God all around you, do you choose to embrace or reject? To reject, you’ll experience the storm of God’s judgment.

Plenty of evidence that time is running out and judgment is coming. Vs. 57-59 - a short analogy that reminds the crowd that they would stand before the judge, but NOW was the opportunity to make things right. God, our judge, has the authority to throw us into hell (Luke 12:5). (It’s an analogy - can’t read too much into it - you can’t pay every last penalty of the debt you owe.) However, clear point - today is the day to settle your account before God through faith and repentance.

URGENCY in these verses - Do not waste your now. Peace with God costs you your now. NOW is the time to make a decision for Jesus. NOW is the time to live by faith.

If you are going to follow Jesus it will cost you your now. If I am going to give Jesus my now:

I need to know what God wants for my NOW. (Your faith, your repentance, your affections, your worship, your everything - Ph. 1:21.)

I need to know that NOW is fleeting. We continually put off what we know God wants for our now. Teenagers and college students: the illusion of time - you think you have forever. You don’t. Young families stuggling to manage time in your home with small children - “Now is the time for my toddlers… They consume me...” So, you use your young children as an excuse for why you aren’t giving Jesus your now. Or, middle-aged parents like me - balancing work, kids activities, etc… “I only get one shot to have this time with my kids… I have to make sure they have opportunities...” So, they get your now. Or, older adult - only a few years until retirement - Got to work extra so you can max out 401K - So, job gets your now… And on and on it goes. NOW is the time to live for Jesus, to be discipled, to make disciples. How are you spending your NOW?

You feel the urgency for everything else except the ONE thing that eternally matters. You don’t feel the urgency to give your now to the ONE who is the Eternal Judge.

I need to know that if I waste my NOW it impacts everything. Because you will look back and wish you would invested in your own spiritual growth or in the growth of your kids. Some of you are there now… You have regrets because in the NOW you lived for you instead of giving your NOW to Jesus. BUT… NOW is the time to live for Jesus.

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/07/1198252469/coast-guard-hamster-wheel-reza-baluchi-atlantic-ocean - How will you spend your now?

Peace with God will cost you your allegiance.

Those in the crowd, the religious - listening to Jesus hard teachings for some time - Could Jesus be right? Could judgment come for people who reject Jesus? Could judgment come for people who do not give Jesus their now? Seems a little harsh - after all - audience filled with good Jewish people who were religious. Wasn’t Jesus a bit extreme?

In the minds of good, moral, religious people: "Judgment should come for really bad people, but not someone like me.”

Jesus knows that we have a tendency to justify ourselves. People coming to Jesus talking about religious pilgrims from Galilee who Pilate had put to death and then their blood mixed with the blood of sacrificial animals. Talk about scandalous! Those Galileans must have been horrible sinners for God to allow something like that to happen, right?

Or, in Siloam, a tower fell and killed 18 people. Certainly they must have been horrible sinners for God to allow something like that to happen.

Jesus point: Everyone has sinned. All deserve to die (Rom. 3:23). Your religion and good works cannot save you. You can’t create a hierarchy of sins/sinners. You must repent and give your allegiance to King Jesus.

Then, direct words to Israel: “You’ve had time. You’ve born no fruit that demonstrates true allegiance to the King.” Jesus likens the people to a fig tree - grown for years but has born no fruit. The farmer must cut it down.

The fig tree is Israel. Israel must repent and bear fruit before the hour of judgment arrives.

Jesus is so patient. Vs. 8 - Almost like Jesus is saying, “This is your last chance.”

Israel failed to give their allegiance to Jesus - they failed to repent - and missed the Messiah.

This section of Scripture (12:49-13:9) clear reminder that judgment is coming. Jesus will return, and when He does, it will be a wonderful day for His children and a horrible day for those who have rejected Him.

Today is the day to give your allegiance to Him - to repent.

Peace with God is far more important than peace on earth. Experience peace with God by repenting and giving Jesus your allegiance. NT promise when you have peace with God you can have the peace of God (Phil. 4:6-7). Peace because you know you are right with God. Peace because your future is secure.

Peace on earth will be a reality when Jesus returns. What about the promise of Luke 2? When sin and death are once and for all eliminated. When no more enemies stand against God. When He makes heaven and earth new. THEN - the peace we long for.

You might be thinking this morning - Is it worth the cost? The relational cost? The cost of giving my now? The cost of giving my allegiance? You will never give up for Jesus more than He has given up for you. He suffered your punishment. He died your death. He rose from the dead defeating sin and death for you. You can’t convince me it’s not worth it to follow Jesus. AND… having the peace of God in every situation of life. Yes! It’s worth it even it costs you your relationships, your now, and your allegiance. Turn to Him today.