Spirituality Column #778

October 12, 2021

Common Christianity / Uncommon Christianity

Long Division   

By Bob Walters

“Thus, the people were divided because of Jesus.” – John 7:43

At the announcement of our Lord’s birth, the angels proclaim “peace on earth.”

Then as Jesus moved toward the cross, He seemed to be dancing to a very different piper when He said this to His disciples:

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?  No, I tell you.  But division.  From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12:51-52)

Were the angels wrong? (No.)  Did Jesus change? (No.)  Is He a psycho? (No.) Can we trust this guy? (Yes.)  Just don’t look in the mirror and expect to see Jesus.

I’m convinced most of the world has the Jesus thing backwards – either by will, by philosophy, or by ignorance – because so much of “The World” expects in Jesus a reflection of its own errant image of “kindness”: an affirming, unifying, non-judgmental, apparently passive, soft-humored, gift-giving, flock-building, cuddly, good-time Charlie.

Like, say, an unprincipled rich uncle: not especially serious, not authentically real.

And then the World discovers that Jesus’s first principle is the unwavering love and righteousness of God.  The World says “No thanks; that’s not what I want. Jesus is a myth.” No, I’m afraid it’s the unprincipled rich uncle who is the myth; he cannot save.

Jesus as the salvation of mankind is as serious and real as serious and real get.

A Christian believer who asserts the truth of Christ will, like Jesus, be hated by the World which thinks peace is merely the absence of divisive struggle.  But the struggle, in the world, will always be with us while Satan, the great divider, is around.

It is Jesus who provides peace in the midst of struggle, of the fight for our eternal souls that is the province of Jesus.  We reduce the Christian religion to “sin and forgiveness” when the Gospels repeatedly affirm that Jesus is less ruffled by sin than by people not knowing who He is.  Salvation comes from identifying and loving Jesus. 

Notice that Jesus consistently heals, helps, and is nice to sinners; He roars at the unbelieving Jews.  Jesus isn’t angry at the sinful woman, or the Roman centurion, or the woman at the well.  But among those who should know who He is, often including His disciples and always the “brood of vipers” as he calls the Pharisees, Jesus holds them to severe account for their doubt and/or ignorance of His identity as the Son of God.

It’s not surprising that the world thinks first of sin; Satan is lord of the world and man’s sins are Satan’s reins.  We take sin’s bit and prance to Satan’s goal of stealing God’s glory as, by pride and greed, he hinders humanity’s ability to recognize Jesus.

We implore others to “Be Kind” (saw that today on a sweatshirt).  We’d rather be “spiritual” than religious.  We need only “believe” (in what?) to find goodness.  And we are happy and confident to self-affirm, “I’m a good person.”  I shake my head.

I’m afraid that’s the long dividing line.  If Jesus were wearing that sweatshirt, I sort of imagine it would instead read, “Be Righteous.”  That’s what Jesus is all the time. 

Yes, Jesus is kind, but our salvation is in identifying His righteousness and His true personhood in God.  That’s how His grace is multiplied and our peace is achieved.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) relies first on Christ’s righteousness; His truth too.