Matthew 11:28-29

Well, there you are.  Which is it?  In the former passage our Lord promises peace and rest for our souls – Matthew 11:28-30 being one of the coziest sayings of our Lord.  Not so Luke 12:51. Place this one in the category of Jesus's hard sayings.  It’s not uncommon for me to hear folks say they prefer the New Testament to the Old because in the latter God appears so harsh – judging this city and destroying that tribe or employing prophets who appear to be perpetually in a bad mood.   In the New Testament, Jesus appears and all is sweetness and light, the same thinking goes.  Then you bump into Jesus having a bad day, as in Luke 12:35-59, where you read an extended oracle of warning and judgement.

What to make of this?  Well, the best advice I can give is that we are to always take “the whole counsel of Scripture”.  Remember, the hope of the Christian church is that God will make right what is wrong in the world, not simply (or exclusively) that God will one day sweep his children into heaven and remove us from a suffering, wicked world that remains more or less intact.  God will overcome evil and suffering, return the creation to its created goodness, and “put the world right again".

And that is the context in which we can read both statements above from our Lord and receive both as good news.  In the former, our Lord promises rest from labor and heavy burdens. This we rightfully understand to be the merciful God, whom Luther, in his Small Catechism, says will one day “take us from the troubles of this world to himself in heaven.” (Explanation of the 7^th Petition)

But in Luke, Jesus has a different agenda. He is speaking to his followers about making the world right - he is speaking in the context of what we would come to understand as his second coming. (Read Luke 12:35-48 for context).  He admonishes his followers in these passages, telling them to be watchful (faithful) and dedicated to doing the works God has given us to do to as his representatives and servants.  And this will invariably engender “division”.  People will not be of one mind about what representing Jesus and serving Jesus means.  Sadly, in some “families” (I think the text has in view the wider family of God rather than just nuclear households) there will be divisions.  Witness the contrasting visions of the world and the church just between different Christian denominations.  Hebrews 4:12 says “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword,.

It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitude of the heart.”

But this is all in order to bring the world to rights again. For the sway of this world upon us is powerful. Various Christian church bodies seek both truth and unity, and sadly find they possess (nor probably can possess) neither.  We do not see things as we ought. Jesus, will be the dividing line. There are not two sides to the truth; there is only God’s truth. It is we who must strive to learn it and heed it and practice it. because we will one day be judged by it.

Yet, we still have the very same Jesus, who promises that in our labor and striving we can come to him for rest.  But Christ’s work (in and for us) is ultimately to “divide” us from the influences of this world as well as its cares.  It’s not easy nor pleasant to be divided (separated) from our sin, but it is a work Jesus is determined to do – to his glory and our good.  We do well to thank him for loving us enough to be about it.

Because of a cross,

Pastor Ken Nelson