August 14, 2022 Luke 12:49-56 Jesus the Cause of Division

This week we talk about one of the more difficult sayings of Jesus, that he came not to bring peace but division. In the context of Luke’s Gospel, we discuss how this relates to the effect of choosing to align one’s life with the kingdom of God, especially from those who do not embrace those values. We discuss representative understandings in the era of the Reformation, especially the idea that this was a call to ministers to be prepared for opposition. Finally, we discuss what embracing a ministry of “release” might look like for us today.