Word of Faith: A House Divided

Matthew 12:25(NIV): “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

You might see the phrase adorning houses that have differing sports teams or political views: “A house divided.” Though it is mainly shown to be humorous about the conflicting opinions within the household, the origins of this phrase are very sound and biblical.

The words of Jesus are what sparked the sentiment. It is stated in our verse today, Matthew 12:25: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” It is also expressed in Mark 3:25: “And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” While it is said in playful humor for certain situations nowadays, when Jesus stated these words, He was describing the division within the house of the Lord that would eventually lead to His sacrifice on the cross.

But what does it mean that “a house divided cannot stand”? In the eyes of Jesus, it is something we all can contribute to, knowingly or unknowingly, but we can also stop it before it is too late. In the context of both verses in Matthew and Mark, the issues began as Jesus was developing His ministry and performing miracles while spreading God’s truth throughout the land. Matthew describes Jesus’s healing of a demon-possessed, blind, and mute man, while Mark depicts the overwhelming crowds clamoring for Jesus to bring healing into their lives, which was not shared among His fellow brethren.

In both situations, the Pharisees witnessed the miraculous changes Jesus was bringing to the people, and believed that He was operating in the spirit of beelzebub, another name to describe satan. To them, this would explain how Jesus was able to cast out demons, because they were His own kind. In response to these accusations, Jesus reflected on this concept by asking the question of how “satan could cast out satan?”. He goes on to explain in both passages that any kingdom divided against itself will be destroyed, and any house divided against itself cannot stand.

This notion is to convey that when a house (or a kingdom) is fighting against itself, it can’t prosper or overcome the battle. Any victories only lead to losses and nothing good can come from it. Let’s think about if some of our battles are worth the division and chaos that it will promotes. Before one can build anything; we must find a way to eliminate division, if possible. We do not have to be a house divided.

Earl W. Hughes Jr. is Director/Founder of Works of Faith Ministries.