I
have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have
a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden
until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth?
No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will
be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three
against. 'Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother
against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against
daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.'" Luke 12:49-53 
Should we pray for peace for Jerusalem?
In this sign in Israel, they asked us to do that.
Pray for peace for all the world?
Meditate.
Consider God’s guidance in Scripture. Read God’s word and listen to what He is
saying.
Jesus said… Do you think I have come
to bring peace to the earth? What do you think? At Christmas we give and
receive cards that say “Peace on Earth” because that is just what is recorded
that the angels said when Jesus was born.
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord
appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They
were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he
said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The
Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of
David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped
snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, the angel was
joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with
whom God is pleased." Luke
2:9-14 (Underlined for emphasis.)
Just
before His arrest, Jesus spoke plainly to His disciples, and then prayed to our
Heavenly Father concerning them. He was encouraging them not to worry about
Him, but to have peace.
Jesus asked, "Do you finally
believe? But the time is coming—indeed it's here now—when you will be
scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone
because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have
peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take
heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:31-33 (Underlined for
emphasis.)
Jesus
wanted them to have peace and not be afraid. Here in the scripture today, a bit
earlier in His ministry, Jesus is telling His disciples and a crowd of people that
He came to divide people. What divide people? That’s what He says. Some people,
even in the same families, will be for Him and some will be against Him. We see
that today with families who have different points of view on religion—to the
point of not even speaking to each other. Hmmm. Is this what Jesus was referring
to? God also gives us a little insight into the desire for peace in Paul’s letter
to the Colossians.
For God in all his fullness was
pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to
himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means
of Christ's blood on the cross. Colossians
1:19-20 (Underlined for emphasis.)
Many of
the Old Testament authors write about peace. Do a search for yourself and
discover promises for peace and that there will be no peace. Paul also
proclaims his desire for peace to the Colossians.
Dear brothers and sisters, I close
my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each
other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with
you. 2 Corinthians
13:11
Peace is
a desire for no conflict, a feeling of security which all of humanity may strive
for and not attain. Peace can be a quality of satisfaction, an absence of conflict,
or a state of tranquility. It is also an assurance of salvation. Peace is one
of the nine qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.
But the Holy Spirit produces this
kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against
these things! – Galatians
5:22-23 (Emphasis underlined.)
Do you
have or seek peace for your soul?
What do we learn about Jesus in today’s
scripture emphasis?
Prayer
– Lord Jesus, I do seek Your peace through the forgiveness of my sin and in the
hope I have in You for a lifetime of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thank You for Your love…for
me…and for all of mankind. You’ve said that there will be conflict within
families, but I praise You for the love that my own family finds in You and
that we see in others because of You.
Verse
of Salvation ~ How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who
brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God
of Israel reigns! Isaiah
52:7
© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
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