'Jesus, the Divider" April 19 Readings: Ruth 1-2, Luke 12:35–59, Psalm 49:11–20, Proverbs 11:9-10

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Today's Readings - Ruth 1-2, Luke 12:35–59, Psalm 49:11–20, Proverbs 11:9-10


Devotional - Jesus the Divider 


If you listen to the popular wisdom of the day, Jesus came to earth to gather everyone into one big, giant group hug. He (to borrow a political term) a "uniter, not a divider." Anything that brings us together must be pleasing to Jesus and anything that separates us must be sinful and displeasing to him.

It isn't that simple.

It is true that it was the heart of Jesus that the Body of Christ would be one. He entreated the Father in John 17, pouring out his deepest desires that his disciples and those who would follow would live out the kind of unity that the Father and the Son had between themselves. It is a prayer that will only be completely fulfilled in eternity, but it is the heart of God. Jesus died to purchase ONE Body and wants us to walk in unity, in peace, in oneness. He hates when we fight, divide and fracture within the church, within the Body of Christ.

But he also made it clear that the first step in the creation of that unity was an act of division. To unite the Body of Christ he must first separate it - from the world, from sin, from death and judgment. Uniting with Christ separates us from those who are not united with Christ. The Christ who unites also divides.

Jesus made this abundantly clear in Luke 12:51.

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
No, it is not that Jesus loves division and war, it is that the fundamental requirement for the unity of the Body of Christ is that one must become part of the Body. Jesus Christ calls us to renounce our loyalty to sin and to self and give ourselves body, soul, and spirit to him. That is a point of division. Jesus divides marriages - when one partner commits to Christ and the other does not. Jesus divides families when a child is saved and the parents are not. But the requirement of being united in Christ is that we must be in Christ. Christianity is not the brotherhood of ALL people, but of those who share the common experience of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

Unfortunately, in this sinful world, as the gospel goes forward and some receive Christ and others do not, the words of Jesus will be sadly fulfilled.

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.
The unity of the body of Christ is founded in one thing and one thing only. It is not founded in the color of our skin or in our socio-economic status. It is not founded on our national identity or political belief. The Body of Christ is founded from every tribe, language and people on earth. It is rich, poor, white, black and every shade in between. It is male and female. There is only one thing we have in common. We have been taken out of our earthly situations and redeemed by Christ. We share a common experience of Christ - each has been purchased by the blood of Christ shed on the Cross, made new in him, indwelled by the Spirit and empowered to live a new life.

So yes, Christ divides. He divides those who believe in him from those who do not. He divides those who obey the Word from those who do not. He divides those who live life God's way from those who do not. This ought not to surprise us. But as he divides us from the sinful world he also brings us into a glorious unity in Christ.

The one who divides humanity like Moses parted the Red Sea unites us in a perfect bond of love. Praise God.

Thank you, Father, that you have both separated me from this sinful world and united me in Christ with the rest of his Body. 

Think and Pray

Which of the readings spoke most powerfully to you today?
Is the Spirit of God moving you to repent of something you are doing, to begin something new, or to change something about your life as a result of your readings? What?

How much a part of the sinful world are you?
Do you live both united with Christ and his body AND divided from the sinful things of this world?




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