Jesus Christ – The Great Divider

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:34-37

Many think Jesus came to bring peace among men, but they have not read what He Himself taught. He came to bring division in families to prove His true disciples, for only they would pay this high cost. Only real Christians will follow Jesus if it means they might lose some of their dearest relatives on earth. Even the thought of this price to be His disciple is too much for most. They prefer family over Jesus.

Jesus is divisive as a Person, because it is hard to believe He was God. He had an ordinary body, so He did not look different, but He had the full Godhead in that body (Col 2:9). The Jews, who should have known Him by their scriptures, were often divided about Him (Jn 7:40-43; 9:16; 10:26). He was not what they wanted; they wanted a Messiah to deliver them from Rome and restore Israel’s greatness.

Jesus is divisive in His religion, because most will not accept His rules for baptism, divorce, flattering titles, giving money, hating the world, holy living, loving enemies, mental adultery, avoiding sinners, serving others, submission to authority, turning cheeks, and so forth. Neither will they accept eternal torment, predestination to heaven, condemnation of social trends, or eternal salvation without works.

Jesus is divisive because He came to save only some (Jn 6:38-39; 17:2). Almighty God is the Potter, and we are the clay, and He chose some to honor and others to dishonor. All men have sinned against God, and none deserve His mercy, but many resent even the thought of such sovereign power (Rom 9:11-24). Jesus only loves those God gave Him to save, which makes Him very different from what men want.

Jesus is divisive because only some are born again to recognize Him, love Him, and want to obey Him (John 1:12-13). Most men are left in their natural state, so they happily serve the devil as their father (John 8:43-47). But some are regenerated to have a new heart that loves the things of God, and they will do anything for their Lord and Savior. This great difference in nature divides and separates men.

Jesus is divisive because He blasted even the most conservative of the Jewish religious leaders, calling them names and ridiculing their worship and practices. He has no regard for any man or group of men. He called Roman Catholicism the great whore and abominable enemy of God and their practices to be doctrines of devils (Rev 17:1-6; I Tim 4:1-3). He mocks evolution as pretend science (I Tim 6:20).

Jesus is divisive because He is the Judge of all men and will send the wicked to everlasting punishment, ignoring their cries (Matt 7:21-23). He will divide all men into sheep on His right hand or goats on His left hand (Matt 25:31-33). He will identify them by their treatment of the least of His followers.

To follow Jesus you must count the cost to make sure you will pay the price to be His disciple (Luke 14:25-33). Otherwise He does not want you, for half-way is not good enough for Him. Real love is known by what you will give in exchange for something. What will you give up to be a real Christian?

But listen! You will never lose following Jesus; He will repay you 100 times any loss (Mark 10:28-30).