“Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51)

From the looks of it, the above verse from today’s Gospel seems to be the exact opposite of Jesus’ prayer, in which he asked “may all be one”. So, what does it mean by “division”?

Jesus once taught us the parable of the sower. Some seed fell on the path, some fell on rocky ground, some fell among thorns, but some fell on rich soil. It is very hard for the seeds sown by God into our hearts to bear fruits because of all the external temptations in this world.

Jesus also once said, “No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Thus, when a person is willing to follow God, tests from the external world will come one after the other. The “division” as described by Jesus is referring to the contradiction produced between the stand-off between mankind and God in this real world.

The crucified Christ was the climax of these contradictions from the mankind. However, Jesus told us, “I have conquered the world!”

Jesus victory is not coming from violence against violence; instead, he conquers his opponents by being meek and humble. In order to reach this goal, let us pray to God, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!”