49-53 “I’ve come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I’ve come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I’ve come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be—
Three against two,
and two against three;
Father against son,
and son against father;
Mother against daughter,
and daughter against mother;
Mother-in-law against bride,
and bride against mother-in-law.”
and two against three;
Father against son,
and son against father;
Mother against daughter,
and daughter against mother;
Mother-in-law against bride,
and bride against mother-in-law.”
54-56 Then he turned to the crowd: “When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, ‘Storm’s coming’—and you’re right. And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, ‘This’ll be a hot one’—and you’re right. Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don’t tell me you can’t tell a change in the season, the God-season we’re in right now.
57-59 “You don’t have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense, the kind you’d use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you’d probably go to jail and pay every last penny of the fine. That’s the kind of decision I’m asking you to make.”
Jesus asked his disciples to learn how to discern God's season just like people who can discern the weather - the worldly things. Jesus asserts that as God's Kingdom comes on earth, people even the closest family members have to divide themselves according to how they react to the Kingdom or the Gospel's message. There is no neutral ground for people on earth - either they stand for or against the Kingdom's message. Disciples are not called to be enemies of our family members, instead we are called to love our family members but not according to human's standard but rather, loving them according to the message of Gospel, inviting them to turn away from the world and convert back to the Kingdom of God.
My Master Jesus, let me not relax in praying for my family members and brothers and sisters who are astray from God. That is the season of God and there is no neutral ground in response to Jesus. The Kingdom of God has come on earth and people must grasp the opportunity to repent and receive the salvation of Jesus. My dear Jesus, lead me by Your Spirit to reach out to the lost and pray for the astray of your people.
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