Over & Over
A three-strand rope is not easily broken because the unity and bond of the three strands is long-lasting.
matthew 12:25 tlb
“Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “A divided kingdom ends in ruin. A city or home divided against itself cannot stand.”
Over & Over: Unity
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” -Abraham Lincoln
The quote above, which is almost identical to Matthew 12:25, is probably one of Lincoln’s most famous quotes. Lincoln’s House Divided speech is often hailed as a warning for what was to come. At the time, in 1858, there were strong conflicts about slavery and other slavery-related factors, between Northern and Southern states. And three years later, those tensions would fire the bullets of the Civil War, in 1861.
Jesus’ context for his House Divided speech was spurred by the Pharisees. They were convinced that Jesus was able to cast a demon out of man because, Jesus, himself was of Satan. Jesus stated that Satan would not destroy his own kingdom and that the casting out of demons was testament to the arrival of the Kingdom of God. Jesus ends his statement by saying, that anyone who is against him, is harming him. How much more could Jesus have done if the Pharisees were not figurative and later, literal thorns in his flesh?
I won’t recount the yesterday’s events, at the US Capitol but they were clearly indicative of a division that currently exists in America.
In American history, the Bible,and present times, we see a continued pattern of the importance of togetherness. Unity is powerful and disunity is destructive. God created us all for community, family and healthy relationships between each other. In our individual lives, we make daily choices concerning our relationships (work, family, church, friends etc.). to either forge unity, building it up or fork unity, tearing it down.
Unity is not about what/who is right or wrong but about what is best. Remember Jesus died for us then and still graces us now, not because we are deserving or undeserving but because he loves us. As our nation heals and finds unity again, and our world continues to fight COVID and find a new normal, let us all go forward, setting aside our differences, walking together, in Jesus’ love.
Until Weekend Wellness,
