Dividing Lines

Matthew 10:34-39

Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)

WE ARE PEOPLE OF PEACE. That’s our calling. Salt and light offer the shalom of God’s Kingdom in many ways—spiritual, material, emotional, relational, physical, and so much more. We bless, influence for change, and represent the goodness of a very good God. But if we’re honest with ourselves and true to the words of Jesus, we know our message does not always bring peace. Jesus was a huge point of contention during his earthly ministry and has been ever since. Families, cities, and nations have split over his identity. Souls have been compelled to come down on one side or the other. And the impact of the gospel rarely remains behind the scenes. The truth makes waves.

Our goal is to have a thoroughly positive influence on the world around us, but we have to be aware that sometimes our influence will be divisive. Though some Christians have a contentious nature and seem drawn to divisive words and actions, that isn’t our calling. But the nature of the message of redemption and restoration through a crucified and risen Savior does divide loyalties and sometimes causes visceral reactions in people who have been wounded by the church, disappointed by God, or even just stuck in self-centered ways. The reasons vary; the nature of the message does not. And sometimes it will create a stir.

Be prepared for that, and be sensitive to the hearts of people who react negatively from their own spiritual wounds. Always lead with love, not with hard-edged truth. But in the context of love, don’t let your salt lose its flavor or your light lose its brightness. God accomplished a lot among all the negative reactions in the New Testament, and he still does. Jesus continues to be a dividing line, and souls still have to choose whether to believe him or not. Sometimes they will face that choice by hearing and observing you as you live in Jesus’ image. Let those moments come—and offer peace in the midst of them to all who will receive it.

{Jesus, you were a question mark in the flesh, always provoking a decision, and my union with you makes me one too. Give me the wisdom to avoid unnecessary conflicts and embrace true ones. Grant me peace even when I become a dividing line. Amen.