Got division?
I don't mean long division as in mathematics. Luke is moving us to consider divisions within our lives. It is hard for our relationships to stand firm when we are divided.
As we consider the things that divide, I find it easier to start with a list of my neighbor's faults than my own. It is pretty easy to see what's dividing us - it's you! If you would just be more like me, there would be no division!
But in order to effect lasting change, the only person we can actually do anything about is the one looking at us in the mirror (kind of like that Michael Jackson song). I think this is why the Lord's Prayer is so effective. It helps us to focus on what we can do with ourselves - how we can build up the kingdom and how we can forgive and be forgiven. Which all seems to go together, doesn't it?
But Luke also has us looking beyond ourselves in this passage. At the end, if we have our house in order but don't look to Jesus Christ, we may be inviting chaos. So we are to focus on what we can change about division in our relationships - but if we only focus on ourselves without God's help, we may find it all coming down around us.
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