Luke 12:53 (ASV)

Passage

They shall be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother in law against her daughter in law, and daughter in law against her mother in law.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:51 Think ye that I am come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

Luke 12:52 for there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

Luke 12:53 They shall be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother in law against her daughter in law, and daughter in law against her mother in law.

Luke 12:54 And he said to the multitudes also, When ye see a cloud rising in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it cometh to pass.

Luke 12:55 And when [ye see] a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be a scorching heat; and it cometh to pass.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "divided", "father", "against", and "mother". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "divided", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 52's "for there shall be from henceforth five..." into verse 54's "And he said to the multitudes also...", so "shall" and "divided" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shall" and "divided" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.