Jesus’ words from the gospel reading today might be confusing or even scary: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided.” Jesus, whom we often call the Prince of Peace, is telling us that instead of peace, He will establish division. Why? I think we need to understand this as Jesus’ warning, not His intention. Because our God wants us to live in love and peace, that’s how He created us, according to His image. However, His name brings division into our world. And we witness this every time when others - even our friends and family members -try to convince us that God doesn’t listen to our prayers, that you are only wasting your time with that religion. We would like to live in a peaceful world, we pray for peace and God wants that peace for us, but Jesus’ name brings division and sometimes even hatred. You can either accept that or leave -- Jesus says.
