Embracing Division for Justice and God's Love

Devotional

Day 1: The Cost of True Peace: Division for the Sake of the Gospel

Jesus’ words in Luke challenge our assumptions about peace, reminding us that following Him may bring division, not because we seek conflict, but because the radical love and justice of God’s kingdom will unsettle the status quo. When we stand up for the dignity and worth of every person, some will resist, and that resistance is not a sign of failure but a sign that the Gospel is truly at work. The call is not to create arguments for their own sake, but to live out the message of Christ so fully that it disrupts systems of exclusion and injustice, even if it means facing opposition from those closest to us. [21:17]

Luke 12:51-53 (ESV)
"Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Reflection: Where in your life is God calling you to stand up for love and justice, even if it means risking disagreement or division with those around you?

Day 2: God’s Love and Grace Are for Everyone—No Exceptions

The message that all people are beloved by God and worthy of grace is simple to say but difficult to live, especially when we are tempted to make exceptions for those we dislike or disagree with. True sanctification and transformation require us to confront the hidden caveats in our hearts and to extend God’s love without reservation, knowing that this radical inclusivity may itself be a source of division. The church is called to declare, with conviction and without asterisks, that God’s grace is already available to all, and to work for the transformation of this present age by embodying that truth. [30:05]

Romans 15:7 (ESV)
"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."

Reflection: Is there someone or some group you struggle to believe is truly loved by God? What would it look like to pray for them and seek to see them as God does today?

Day 3: The Presence of Justice, Not the Absence of Conflict, Defines Peace

Peace in the kingdom of God is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice, hope, and love. When the church chooses to create places of safety, dignity, and support for those who are marginalized—whether the unhoused, immigrants, or anyone in need—it may provoke opposition from those who prefer comfort over change. The real choice is not between conflict and harmony, but between maintaining the status quo or pursuing the active presence of God’s justice and mercy in the world. [34:52]

Isaiah 32:17 (ESV)
"And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever."

Reflection: What is one practical way you can help create a place of safety, dignity, or hope for someone in your community this week?

Day 4: Living Out Love and Grace Without Fear

To live as people of God is to choose love, hope, mercy, and grace, even when it means facing opposition or misunderstanding. The church is not called to avoid conflict at all costs, but to courageously embody the kingdom of God by meeting needs without judgment, offering acceptance, and refusing to let fear of division keep us from loving as Christ loves. When we act out of abundance and grace, we proclaim that every person is worthy, and we trust God to use our witness to transform lives. [36:12]

1 John 4:18-19 (ESV)
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us."

Reflection: Where do you sense fear holding you back from loving or serving others freely? How can you take one step to move past that fear today?

Day 5: Standing Up for God’s Love in a Divided World

The world is full of places and situations where people do not know they are loved by God or do not feel safe in their communities. The call for each of us is to find those places—whether in our own lives or in our neighborhoods—and to stand up boldly, declaring that God’s love, hope, and grace are for everyone, full stop. We are not called to seek out division, but we are called to not be afraid of it when it comes as a result of living out the radical, inclusive love of Christ. [38:27]

Galatians 6:9-10 (ESV)
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

Reflection: Who in your life or community needs to hear or experience God’s love through you today? What is one thing you can do to make that love tangible for them?

Sermon Summary

As we gather at the start of a new school year and a new season, we are reminded that God is present with us in every transition and every place we find ourselves. Today, we reflect on Jesus’ challenging words from the Gospel of Luke, where he declares that he has not come to bring peace, but division. This can be unsettling, especially when we remember all the other places in scripture where Jesus is called the Prince of Peace, and where his followers are sent out to bring peace to the world. How do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory messages?

The heart of the matter is that the peace Jesus brings is not simply the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice, love, and the good news of God’s kingdom. When the message of God’s radical love and inclusion enters the world, it inevitably stirs things up. Some will receive it with joy, but others will resist, especially when it challenges the status quo or threatens systems of power and exclusion. Division arises not because we seek it, but because standing up for God’s love and justice will always meet resistance from those who would rather keep things as they are.

We are called to be people who stand up and say, “God loves everyone, full stop.” This means loving those who are marginalized, welcoming the stranger, and affirming the dignity of every person—whether they are immigrants, the unhoused, or anyone society deems “other.” This kind of love is not always popular. It can create division, even within families and communities, because it challenges deeply held prejudices and fears. Yet, this is the work of sanctification—not just for the afterlife, but for the transformation of our world here and now.

The choice before us is not simply between conflict and harmony, but between the comfort of the status quo and the courageous presence of love and justice. We are invited to lean into hope, acceptance, and grace, even when it means facing opposition. Our calling is to create places of safety, dignity, and belonging, trusting that God’s love is big enough for all. May we not be afraid of the division that comes from living out the gospel, but instead be bold in proclaiming and embodying God’s love for everyone.

Key Takeaways

1. True peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice and the good news of God’s kingdom. When we pursue God’s justice and love, we may disrupt the status quo, but this disruption is necessary for real transformation. The peace Jesus offers is active, not passive, and sometimes it means standing in the tension of division for the sake of what is right. [21:17]
2. Division is not the goal, but an inevitable result of faithfully living out God’s radical love. When we declare that all are beloved children of God—without exceptions—we challenge systems and attitudes that thrive on exclusion. This can make others uncomfortable, but it is a sign that the gospel is at work, overturning our human boundaries. [28:41]
3. The temptation to limit God’s love is real, even for those who profess it. Deep soul-searching is required to uncover the hidden caveats we place on God’s grace—those unspoken “excepts” that reveal our reluctance to embrace everyone. Sanctification is about allowing God to transform our hearts so that our love becomes as expansive as God’s. [30:05]
4. Standing up for the dignity and safety of the marginalized is a concrete way to embody the gospel. Whether it’s welcoming immigrants, supporting the unhoused, or providing for those in need, these acts of love may provoke opposition. Yet, they are essential to our witness as followers of Christ, who calls us to love without reservation. [33:20]
5. The choice before us is whether we will settle for comfort and the absence of conflict, or risk division for the sake of love and justice. To choose love is to accept that not everyone will agree, but it is to align ourselves with God’s vision for the world. Our calling is to be people of hope, grace, and mercy, unafraid to stand up for God’s inclusive love. [36:12]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:32] - Opening Announcements and Gathering
[06:47] - Call to Worship and Opening Prayer
[08:31] - Hymn: God of Grace and God of Glory
[09:00] - Children’s Time
[21:17] - Wrestling with Jesus’ Words on Division
[23:22] - The Nature of Division: Not Argument for Argument’s Sake
[28:41] - The Challenge of God’s Inclusive Love
[30:05] - Sanctification and the Transformation of the Present Age
[31:51] - Barriers to Ministry and Loving the Marginalized
[33:20] - The Church’s Call to Stand Up for Dignity
[34:52] - Choosing Love and Justice Over Comfort
[36:12] - Living Out Grace in Practical Ways
[37:20] - Invitation to Lean Into Love and Acceptance
[38:27] - Courage to Stand Up for God’s Love
[39:14] - Affirmation of Faith and Hymn of Invitation
[43:38] - Prayers for the Community
[48:07] - Announcements and Ways to Serve
[55:29] - Passing the Peace and Closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 12:49-53 (ESV) — > “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Observation Questions

In Luke 12:51, Jesus says, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” What kind of division is Jesus talking about in this passage?
According to the sermon, what is the difference between the peace Jesus brings and the peace the world expects? [21:17]
The sermon mentions that Jesus’ message of love and inclusion can stir things up and meet resistance. What are some examples given of groups who might feel excluded or marginalized? [31:51]
What does the pastor say is the real meaning of “peace” in the context of Jesus’ teaching? [21:17]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus’ message of radical love and inclusion sometimes lead to division, even among families and communities? [28:41]
The sermon says that “sanctification is about allowing God to transform our hearts so that our love becomes as expansive as God’s.” What does this transformation look like in everyday life? [30:05]
The pastor talks about the temptation to put limits or “asterisks” on God’s love. Why do people, even Christians, struggle to fully embrace God’s love for everyone? [30:05]
How does standing up for the dignity and safety of the marginalized embody the gospel, according to the sermon? [33:20]

Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to stand up and say, “God loves everyone, full stop.” Who in your life or community do you find it hardest to include in that statement? What would it look like to love them as God does? [28:41]
The pastor shared about the church’s ministry to immigrants and the unhoused, and how these acts of love can create division. Have you ever experienced pushback or discomfort when trying to help someone on the margins? How did you respond? [31:51]
The sermon asks us to do “deep soul-searching” to uncover any hidden caveats we place on God’s grace. What are some “excepts” or limits you might have, even if you don’t want to admit it? How can you bring these to God? [30:05]
The choice before us, according to the sermon, is between the comfort of the status quo and the courageous presence of love and justice. Where in your life are you tempted to choose comfort over standing up for what is right? [34:52]
The pastor gave the example of the church’s clothing closet, where people are trusted to take what they need without judgment. Are there ways you can create places of safety, dignity, and belonging for others in your daily life? What might that look like? [36:12]
The sermon says, “We’re not scared of the argument. We’re not scared of the division. We want to live in the kingdom of God now.” What fears hold you back from boldly living out God’s love, even if it means facing opposition? [36:12]
Think about a time when you saw someone else stand up for the marginalized or excluded. What did you learn from their example? How might you follow their lead this week? [33:20]

Sermon Clips

And I think as we take a step back and we look at these verses from Luke, Jesus isn't necessarily saying to his disciples, I want you to go out there, and I want you to create division. He's not saying to Peter, Paul, John, Mary, and Martha, go out there and start arguments for argument's sake. He's saying something different entirely. He's saying, when this baptism, when this love, when this blessing, when this message that I am carrying gets into the world, some people will receive it. And some people won't. And the people who live it out, the people who live out this division, or the people who live out this peace, who live out this message, who live out this call to the kingdom of God, they're going to stir some stuff up. [00:21:51] (57 seconds) #PeaceIsJusticeInAction

Because there are people, and those people are probably us to some extent. There are people who are going to look at the reversal of the Gospel and go, but I still need to win. I still need to be right. I still need to come out on top. I still need to be the one that's in charge, that has power, that has autonomy, that has authority. And Jesus' gospel, Jesus' message, Jesus' resurrection, Jesus' sanctification, the holiness that comes from God is none of those things. It's not winning or losing. It's not being on top. It's not making sure someone else is down on the bottom. [00:28:28] (43 seconds) #SanctificationTransformsNow

The kingdom of God is standing up and saying, we are all beloved children of God. And that statement, that we are all beloved children of God, worthy of love, capable of being saved, capable of entering into the kingdom, is in itself going to cause division because there are always going to be people who want to say, everyone's capable of being loved by God, everyone is capable of entering into the kingdom, except these people. Except the people who disagree with me. Except the people I don't like. Except the people who have done this. And in our hearts, we probably have that asterisk somewhere for ourselves. [00:29:11] (54 seconds) #CourageToStandForLove

We can all stand up and say that God loves everyone. God's grace is available to everyone. But unless we're willing to do some deep soul searching, we might have that caveat somewhere deep in our soul where we say that God loves everyone, but we hope that God doesn't. And that division that Jesus is talking about tells us that sanctification, tells us that salvation, tells us that being made holy in this life isn't just for the afterlife. It isn't just for heaven. But being made holy is for the transformation of this present age. [00:30:05] (55 seconds) #SafetyAndGraceForAll

Because division here on earth wouldn't matter if we were only doing this to get into heaven. Division on this earth only happens when Christians stand up, when people of God stand up and say, this is who God is, and this is who God has called us to be. [00:31:00] (16 seconds) #LoveOverStatusQuo

We have a lot of folks that come through the church office who are unhoused or underhoused, and we hear a lot of rhetoric about, well, why don't they just get jobs? Why don't they just go somewhere else? Our solution to homelessness is more often than not, well, why don't we just make the homeless people go somewhere else so that we don't see them, so that they're not our problem. And for the church to stand up and say, they're not a problem. They're people who are beloved by God, who deserve dignity and support and love, is necessarily going to create division because there will be people who pop up on the other side and say, we don't think so. [00:33:04] (50 seconds) #EmbracingKingdomCourage

That's the division that Jesus, Jesus is talking about. Jesus is saying, if you love everybody the way God loves you, there are going to be people who stand up and say, we don't think so. And more often than not, we get so comfortable with the status quo, we get so comfortable with things the way they are that to stand up and say, I don't think God wants this. To stand up and say, I think that God loves these people and they are worthy of safety and protection and dignity is going to create division. And that's the division that Jesus is talking about here in the middle of the Gospel of Luke. [00:33:54] (45 seconds) #GenerosityWithoutJudgment

If you stand up and say, God loves everyone and actually mean it, there's going to be somebody else who stands up and say, and says, I'm not so sure. The church isn't called to seek division for the sake of division. The church is called to be loving. The church is called to lift people up. The church is called to create places of safety and help and hope and love and grace. And in doing so, there might be and there will be people who stand up and say, we don't think so. [00:34:39] (37 seconds) #LeanIntoLoveAndHope

``The choice before us isn't left or right. It's not right or wrong. It's not winning or losing. The choice before us is, do we want to have an absence of division or do we want to have a presence, the presence of love and justice? That's the choice. [00:35:16] (18 seconds) #StandBoldlyForGodsLove

And to choose love, to choose justice, to choose mercy, to choose hope, is in some ways more or less to say, you know, if there are people who stand up and oppose, stand up in opposition, that's okay. Because we know who God has called us to be. We know who God wants us to be. We know that we are people of love, that we are people of hope, that we are people of grace, that we are people of mercy, that we are people of God. And we're not scared of the argument. We're not scared of the division. We want to live in the kingdom of God now, and we will. [00:35:57] (50 seconds)

Where are those places where you can stand up and say, God loves everyone full stop. Where you can stand up and say, God desires safety for everyone full stop. Where God has a plan and a purpose for everyone. Where God's hope and God's grace are available to everyone full stop. Where can you stand up and say, I'm not scared of the division. I'm not scared of the fight. I want people to know God's love. Where can you stand up? [00:38:11] (44 seconds)

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