When Disagreements Arise

Observation

As Jesus is driving out demons that left a man mute, some in the crowd accuse Him of doing so through the power of the devil. In His response, Jesus reveals an essential truth: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” In other words, unity is absolutely necessary to succeed and endure, especially when it comes to being the Church. 

Using logic, Jesus continues to show the crowd that He is doing the Lord’s work through the power of God and not that of the devil because even the devil knows that unity is the key to success. Jesus points out that He is casting out demons––something that is weakening the enemy, defeating the devil, and is clearly the Lord’s work. He shows them that He is not casting out demons by the power of the devil because the devil wouldn’t try to do something that would ultimately hurt himself. Graciously, Jesus encourages us to think wisely and use good judgement before we speak.

Finally, Jesus reminds us to remain mission-focused. Jesus came to do God’s work. He was sent by the Father on a rescue mission for us, so that we may live in perfect eternity with Him. Jesus reminds us that it is our job to help others see, experience, and ultimately, choose the Kingdom of God over all else.

Application

In today’s world, there are so many things to be divided over. Health crises, financial struggles, family issues, and political parties just scratch the surface of all of the things people are fighting over. While we would hope the Church would not succumb to this division, ultimately, we are imperfect humans who are still susceptible to these divisions. As such, when disagreements arise, we must stop to ask ourselves, “Am I someone who seeks to unify or one who seeks to divide?”

Does this mean we must abandon our values and agree with everyone around us? Absolutely not. As Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We exist in the world, but we are not of this world. However, what this does mean is that we must always remain mission-focused. 

As the church, we exist to love God and love people so that the whole world may come to know Christ as their personal Savior. How can the whole world come to know and accept Him when they look at His people and see those who seek to be callous rather than compassionate, domineering rather than devoted, and livid instead of loving. Instead of seeking to be right, we must seek to reconcile; we must seek to be united and stand unified as the capital “C” Church.

As the psalmist says in Psalm 133:1, “How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!” Even the devil knows the importance of unity; as such, he will try to divide us, confuse us, and distract us from our ultimate mission. Let’s seek to be unifiers rather than dividers. Let’s seek to remain mission-focused by reflecting His light into a darkened world. Let’s show the world that we have been transformed by grace through faith by speaking to, listening to, and interacting with one another kindly and respectfully. Let’s change the world by choosing to put our pride aside and follow Christ’s perfect example. 

Prayer