What did Jesus mean when He said, I did not come to bring peace on the earth, but rather division in Luke 12:49-53?

By Pastor Ken Burisek, The Ole Country Church, Medford, Wisconsin
Email: kburisek@taylorelectric.org
Luke 12:49-53 in the New Living Translation reads as follows: I have come to bring fire to the earth, and I wish that my task were already completed! There is a terrible baptism 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 bring strife and division! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of Me, and two against - or the other way around. There will be a division between father and son, mother and daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
What Jesus is actually doing here is giving Christians a warning of sorts. What He is trying to tell us is that just because we gave our hearts to the Lord and recieved that free gift of salvation doesnt mean that our friends and family are going to be happy for us and embrace Christianity as we have. Maybe they know our past life and just arent willing to believe we have been changed by the power of God. Even if they see a change, theyll just figure its just a phase were going through and it will pass.
II Corinthians 5:17 tells us that Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Because of our new life in Christ, we will be changed - our old worldly lifestyle is replaced with a Godly lifestyle. Many of the worldy things we did ...