August 18, 2019

Nature Johnston | August 18, 2019

Jesus has some harsh words today. Frightening. And not at all consistent with who we know Jesus to be – the Prince of Peace. He says, “Do you think I have come to bring peace? No, I tell you, but rather division!” This is a kind of tough love, where we are challenged to make the changes Jesus calls us to, even though we fear the divisions those changes may bring, even in our families: “Father against son; mother against daughter; in-laws against each other.” But change is what the spiritual life is all about. We are changed from dead to alive. We are changed from lost to found. We move from being mostly self-centric to God-centric; to caring about others; loving our neighbor; learning to forgive. God wants us to be transformed into something that looks a lot like Jesus. We are meant to think like Jesus; talk like Jesus; love the way he loves. No wonder those changes upset the family balance. Can we do it?

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