Prepared To Follow Jesus

Luke 12:51–59 (CSB) 51 Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” 54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. 55 And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time? 57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.”

The Text In Its Context

Divided Over Jesus

Luke 12:51–52 (CSB)

51 Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three.

We think of Jesus as bringing peace and inclusion. When Jesus was born, The angels proclaimed to the shepherds

Luke 2:14 (CSB)

14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

Isaiah prophesize that Jesus would be the Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6 (CSB)

6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

The NT the New Testament tells us to live a peaceful life.

Romans 12:18 (CSB)

18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

God speaks harshly against the spirit of contention that divides people unnecessarily, and Jesus Himself was not argumentative: he was patient and kind.

John 3:16–17 (CSB)

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

God sent Jesus to save the entire world, yet Jesus also divides the world.

John 3:18 (CSB)

18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

Jesus offers peace with God, But anyone who decided not to follow Jesus, stands condemned before God.

So how is the Prince of Peace also the great divider? It is because true peace is only available to those that surrender their rebellion against God and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Jesus divides people into two groups of people. People who truly follow Jesus, doing what He commands, who are adopted into the family of God. Believers receive the unearned gift of eternal life and enjoy peace with God. The other group also lives forever, but it isn’t a gift. They earn the penalty of their sin and live forever in Hell.

The most painful example of this division is when families are divided in their love of Jesus. Parents against children, siblings against siblings. I find it interesting that Jesus didn’t say husband against wife, it is a very interesting omission, but I am not certain of the significance. If you have thoughts on that omission I would love to discuss your perspective.

There are many places in the world where a person’s decision to follow Christ means that they will damage their family relationships. In the very worst spots this decision can lead to their family killing them or treating the new disciples as if they were effectively dead. In RI this decision to follow Christ may introduce awkwardness into the life of a family or tension into a marriage. Those things are very difficult to deal with, but none of them constitute legitimate grounds for not following Jesus. We simply cannot hold any loyalty above our loyalty to Christ; he is no ordinary teacher and his disciples may have to pay a very high price in order to follow him.

There will always be tension and conflict between disciples of Jesus and those who don’t know God. It is important to realize that Jesus is not the cause of the division, He is the reason why people divide. You are either with Jesus, or against Him. There is nothing in between.

There will always be tension and conflict between disciples of Jesus and those who don’t know God. It is important to realize that Jesus is not the cause of the division, He is the reason why people divide. You are either with Jesus, or against Him. There is nothing in between. Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the evening. They lived in paradise till their sin resulted in them being cast out of the Garden. The people who were in rebellion against God mocked Noah as he faithfully built the ark. They remained on the outside of the ark as those faithful to God were safe during the flood inside that very same ark. God’s covenant with Abraham divided people into either circumcised members of Abraham’s family or they were cut off from God’s people (Genesis 17:10–14).

Ephesians 2:19 (CSB) 19 So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,

We seem to prefer to dwell on Jesus being the Prince of Peace, but we can never forget that the peace is peace on earth to people God favors! God must punish unrepentant sin. Obviously, that calls for an urgent response to a deadly threat. We must

Be Prepared To Meet Jesus

Luke 12:54–55 (CSB) 54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. 55 And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is.

God created the world and everything in it. When He did so He created natural laws and patterns that allow us to understand that world, and see how it works.

Jesus spoke of common weather patterns His hearers would readily recognize and understand. The same as if I said red sky at night sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailor’s warning. Do islanders need to watch the news to learn what the weather will be this time of year? Bah- we know it will cool with a good chance of rain.

We plan our clothing and activities according to our knowledge of what the weather will bring.

Luke 12:56 (CSB) 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?

Hypocrisy is the characteristic of acting in way that is inconsistent with one's character, belief system, or speech. In order for the failure to understand the time they lived in to be hypocrisy they needed to be pretending not to understand. Intentionally acting like they didn’t know better.

It is hypocrisy to pretend that you don’t know the storm that is coming when you know you should hunker down and get ready for the storm. In RI that often starts with a run for Storm milk and bread, enough to last for months.

Are you prepared to meet Jesus. Remember, Salvation isn’t the end of the journey but rather the beginning. If you don’t have a saving relationship with Jesus take that first step of surrendering your fight against God and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you have done that you still need to continue preparing to make sure that you are ready to meet Jesus.

God’s word tells us that everybody can tell what is coming, because God wants them to know it is coming. God wants us to be prepared for what is coming.

Romans 1:18–22 (CSB) 18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools

Luke records the words God gave John the Baptist, which were given long before that to Isaiah.

Luke 3:4 (CSB) 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!

To make the Lord’s path straight means to remove the obstacles that stand between you and Him. We cannot get right with God by earning our salvation. But there is work that we can influence. There are choices that we can make. And we must do these things with an intensity that recognizes the danger we face if we fail to do so.

Prepare Now

Luke 12:57–59 (CSB) 57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny.”

In our culture going to court over an argument can be dangerous. Even if we feel that we our case has good legal standing there is always the potential that the court will rule against us.

Jesus is saying hey- you know you are in the wrong. You know that you have sinned and deserve nothing more than death, both physical and spiritual. You know it, I know it, and God knows it. AMEN?

So why leave it in the hands of the judge. There is not only the possibility that we will fail to convince the judge that we are good, we know that our case has no real standing before the courts.

Romans 3:23 (CSB) 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 (CSB) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So it is not only a good idea to settle our rebellion against God, it is our only hope for a good outcome. Which do you want? death or life?

Each and every person is on the way to stand before the judge in the courtroom.

Hebrews 9:27 (CSB) 27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—

Luke 12:4–5 (CSB) 4 “I say to you, my friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I will show you the one to fear: Fear him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear!

Prepare Quickly indeed. Choose well and wisely

Prepared To Follow Jesus Step By Step:Contemporary Application

A few thousand years doesn’t affect God’s truth. What Jesus said to his hearers beck then is true for us today. Following Jesus creates tension, maybe even outright hostility, with our friends and family that don’t follow Jesus. If you have never experienced this, you either need to make sure you have friends that don’t follow Jesus or you might not be living the life that Jesus calls you to lead.

Jesus teaches that it is more important to get right with God than to please our families. If our friends no longer accept us because Christ takes first place in our lives, then they must leave us. We cannot, and we must not, leave Jesus. He loved us and gave himself for us. We must abide faithful to him. Don’t stop loving the people who don’t love Jesus. Jesus died for us while we were His enemy. Keep on loving them, praying for them, and encouraging them to hear the Gospel.

Judgement day is coming. The sin of the world is going to bring in a day of judgement. There will be eternal division then and we must make sure that we are sheltering under the blood of Christ because when the great Judge of all the world comes he will not look at our good works. He will examine our clothing. Only those who are wearing the righteousness of Christ will be exempt from his judgement. That means that only those who have fled for mercy to the cross of Christ will be saved.

Jesus is also speaking about hell. So many people do not like to mention this awful subject. But Jesus speaks about it. if you are judged before repenting of your sin you go to hell, and Jesus says you will not get out. There is no passage in the Bible that gives hope for those banished to hell. Heaven and hell are real, and the blessing or punishment comes with no end.

The truth of heaven and hell, eternal blessing and punishment, might not but popular but they should drive our thoughts and actions in evangelism.

Don’t try to soften God’s truth to make it easier for people to believe. Too many of our churches seem scared to mention sin, much less preaching the Gospel truth that we need to repent of our sin to avoid punishment and Hell.

When we avoid proclaiming the full message of God, either in our churches or in our personal evangelism, we distort God’s message. If you don’t need Jesus to reach heaven then He becomes merely a helper instead of a savior. To remove the truth that we are sinners, removes the grace and mercy of salvation.

People may want to think they are good, and that they can earn heaven by living right. But the powerful truth is that God has paid the debt for our failure and has washed it white as snow. Proclaiming God’s love while ignoring our sin removes the need for us to desire to change.

Points To Ponder

“Jesus is Lord” by Darrell L. Bock

THE CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT of Jesus is skewed. Our culture tends to see him as a man who did not engage in confrontation or talk about judgment. He came as the ultimate peacemaker, who sought peace at any cost. He never challenged anyone other than to call for love and tolerance. As a teacher of wisdom and a teller of parables, Jesus did not force people into hard choices; or if he did, it had nothing to do with his own person, only with the need for Israel to reform ethically. Scot McKnight, in criticizing the Jesus Seminar in their view of Jesus, notes the inadequate options modern studies offer: Jesus the sage, Jesus the religious genius, or Jesus the social revolutionary. They are all inadequate portraits of the one who comes to bring us to God. McKnight summarizes his view well:

While it is perhaps inappropriate to offer sweeping criticisms of scholars whose work I respect and from whom I have learned a great deal, I must say that the above treatments of Jesus are unfair in that each presentation limits the evidence of the Gospels to a handful of sayings or events and builds an entire picture of Jesus primarily from one strand of the Gospel tradition. Yes, Jesus was a wise sage and a deeply religious man, and his teachings were undoubtedly more socially revolutionary than many evangelicals imagine; each of these portraits says something truthful about Jesus. At a bare minimum, they need to be combined for a fuller presentation.

My fundamental disagreement with each of them is that such a Jesus would never have been crucified, would never have drawn the fire that he did, would never have commanded the following that he did, and would never have created a movement that still shakes the world. A Jesus who went around saying wise and witty things would not have been threatening enough to have been crucified during Passover when he was surrounded by hundreds who liked him. A Jesus who was a religious genius who helped people in their relationship with God and was kind, compassionate, and gentle would not have been crucified either. A social revolutionary would have been crucified (and this partly explains Jesus’ death, in my view), but it is doubtful that such a revolutionary would have given birth to a church that was hardly a movement of social revolution. And if in the process of surviving, this movement had to shave off the socially revolutionary bits of Jesus, it is amazing that they decided to connect themselves, even root themselves, into a person who was a social revolutionary at heart. No, these pictures of Jesus will not do.

This section of Luke challenges the contemporary portrait of Jesus. Jesus sees himself here as a figure who brings division. He forces choices, not only about how life is lived, but also about how he fit into God’s plan. Simply put, Jesus is the way into a relationship with God. In a sense Jesus’ ministry confronted people, not harshly but directly, but by calling them to account before God. His call is not to bring peace at any price, but to sort through humanity in order to draw some to him, while others turn away. He was and is the Great Divider. His ministry burns consciences, and our reaction to him determines the nature of his judgment.

This text calls each reader to consider where he or she stands before God and to consider all the evidence God has left as indicators for that decision, namely, the activity of Jesus’ ministry as well as the ultimate sign anticipated by a text like this, the resurrection. The Jesus of popular culture does not force such choices, but we may not manipulate the biblical Jesus into our own image. The Gospels are clear that many reacted against him because he challenged them in a threatening way with his prophetic call.

Another application of this passage is that if one is in a debt before God (debt being a figure for sin; cf. 11:4), then settling that debt is of prime importance. It is important to clear the books with God. It is a wise thing to assess one’s debt correctly and have it paid it off before the case is closed.

Much of 12:49–59 raises the issue of judgment and accountability before God. Yet all too often we try to package Jesus for our culture today as if sin were a minor topic on his agenda. This is not only the work of skeptical scholars like those noted above, it is also found in the way we preach Jesus in evangelism. For all the value of seeker-sensitive approaches, if as a result of trying to market Jesus churches soften the message at this point, then they distort the gospel and do not preach the Jesus who offers renewal of life. To remove accountability to God for sin is to remove one of the realities that make grace so powerful. In the effort to make the gospel palatable, we risk emasculating it of its most precious truth, that God has paid the debt for our failure and has washed it white as snow. Ironically in trying to exalt God’s love by ignoring sin, we remove the most powerful evidence of its presence.

Luke 13:1–5 underscores the importance of considering our status before God. We must repent and turn to him, or we will perish. In the context of this Gospel, such turning involves responding to Jesus and his teaching (6:47–49). Repentance is not an emotion or a mere mental assent to a proposition. It is a reorientation to a new life. To repent is not merely to regret things we have done or to apologize for them or to recognize a wrong has been committed. To repent is to agree that a change of direction is required, and then to respond accordingly. That is why John the Baptist speaks of producing the fruit of repentance (3:8). That is also why Paul could speak of repentance and the good works they produce in the same breath (Acts 26:20). Those who repent of their sin receive the gift of life.

Luke 13:6–9 shows that God is patient, but there does come a time when it is too late to repent. Those who anticipate a kind of deathbed repentance so they can “enjoy” life until the end usually do not care to repent when the end comes. Those who think the old wine is good do not try new wine. To repent means seeing that life lived outside of God and Christ is not life as God meant it. We must respond to God before it is too late or before we become accustomed to sinful ways.

This message has an implication. Often in sharing the gospel we give ourselves a sense that there is much time for people to decide. In a sense that can be true, for God is patient and does delay his judgment. But in a sense it can lull us to sleep. As we share Jesus, we can get complacent. Although ultimately the Spirit causes people to respond to Jesus, if we take a laid-back attitude, we will not be as sensitive to opportunities to share as we could be. Note how the caretaker kept trying to fertilize the fig tree. We too should try to keep feeding those who need to hear the gospel with the seed of truth.

[Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 369–371.]

“Yeast of the Pharisees” by Trent C. Butler

Jesus reserved his harshest criticism and condemnation for the Pharisees. To the Jewish people these seemed the least likely objects for such ridicule. The Pharisees exerted great efforts to know God’s will and to do it. They knew more about what the law taught and how the rabbinic tradition said it should be interpreted for modern life and culture. They were always visible in the temple and on the street corners as they recited their prayers and let people know what was right and wrong. The Pharisees were the most pious of all the pious people.

Jesus had a different perspective on the Pharisees. They knew a lot. They prayed a lot. They told others how to act. But was piety defined by obedience of law, especially ritual and cleanliness law? Jesus declared that the important thing was love and justice. The attitude of the Pharisees showed no love for anyone. They were too busy judging those who did not come up to their standards. Justice might be on their lips, but its application was too narrow to meet the prophetic demands. Thus, the Pharisees in the name of carrying out God’s will actually turned people away from God’s will, since they offered no love and no justice. Jesus claimed that to follow their leadership would be to follow them to eternal judgment.

“Hell” by Trent C. Butler

Luke warns people of God’s judgment by declaring that God is the only one who can send the dead into Gehenna, the Greek word translated “hell” in the NIV. The term appears only here in Luke. Originally, it was built from two Hebrew words meaning “Valley of Hinnom.” This valley ran southwest of Jerusalem, and it served as the boundary between the tribes of Benjamin and Judah (Josh. 15:8; 18:16). It was used as the city’s garbage dump. Here Canaanite gods were worshiped, and here children were sacrificed to the gods (Jer. 7:31; 19:4–5; 32:35). Isaiah used the high place (Topheth) of the valley to describe burning judgment (30:33; cf. 33:14; 66:24). In Jewish literature written during the time between the Old Testament and the New Testament, a strong belief in the underworld developed, with the Valley of Himmon becoming seen as the place of fiery judgment. The word Gehenna appears twelve times in the New Testament, each referring to fiery judgment of the wicked (Matt. 5:22, 29–30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5; Jas. 3:6). Gehenna occurred before creation (Matt. 25:41), and its punishment is eternal (Matt. 25:41, 46). The same idea is expressed in other language such as judgment, wrath, destruction, Tartarus, fire, lake of fire and sulfur (Heb. 10:27; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 7; Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14; 21:8).

[Trent C. Butler, Luke, vol. 3, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 213–214.]

Questions Needing Answers

To whom are Jesus’ words here on the family and division a reassurance? To whom would they be a challenge?

How does your faith affect your family life?

Have you witnessed unfaithful unity? Have you witnessed unhelpful division? What principles do you think can help us navigate these difficult judgments without making either error?

Have Jesus’ words here reshaped your view of him in any way? How?

In what ways are you ready for Christ to come again? In what ways are you not ready? Why?

A Week’s Worth Of Scripture

Monday John 3:16–18 (CSB)

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

Tuesday Romans 1:18–22 (CSB)

18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools

Wednesday Luke 3:4 (CSB)

4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord;

make his paths straight!

Thursday Luke 12:5 (CSB)

5 But I will show you the one to fear: Fear him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear!

Friday Luke 12:1–3 (CSB)

1 Meanwhile, a crowd of many thousands came together, so that they were trampling on one another. He began to say to his disciples first, “Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, nothing hidden that won’t be made known. 3 Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Saturday Matthew 25:31–46 (CSB)

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’

40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’

44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”