A House Divided


"One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn't even find time to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. 'He's out of his mind,' they said. But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said,'He's possessed by satan, the prince of demons.' Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. 'How can satan cast out satan?' he asked. 'A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.'" Mark 3:20-25

By all measurements, this pro football team was poised to be a force few could match in its march to the championship. A two-time world champion quarterback and coach. A tough as nails defense with an equally spirited fan base behind them. Preseason expectations skyrocketed as their running back and one of their receivers rose to the league's best conversations. Then it happened. Contract negotiations stagnated. Attitudes began to sour. Teammates picked sides and the wheels came off. This once vaunted team crumbled losing early in the playoffs with barely a whimper.   

Jesus spoke to this very problem thousands of years ago. When he was delivering people from demonic possession, his enemies blamed his partnership with them as the reason why he could do it. They needed, his disciples needed, the crowds needed, his family needed, and we needed this core truth: a house divided cannot stand. Division devours. Disunity destroys. All organizations where members see each other as adversaries are in peril. It's no small thing that Jesus would appear to his brother James after the resurrection. In doing so, James went from, "He's crazy." to "He's Lord!"

Feuding splinters. Splintering leads to a falling apart. Public discourse and private conversations are plagued with feuds. What are we actively doing to take fuel from the fires of division in our circles of influence? What is our plan to build unity in our marriages, homes, churches, and workplaces? Jesus fought the good fight against the devil. Why are we so quick to fight bad fights against each other? Resolve today to live in the blessing Jesus gave, "God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God." 

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