What’s going on at your house? Words like family, house, brother, sister, mother, nation, church ring special in our ears. They are bonding words, words that signify relationship, words that serve as labels for our deepest loyalties personal, familial, national, religious. What did Jesus really say? He said:

A family divided into groups that fight will fall apart.

A house divided into groups that fight will fall apart.

A nation divided into groups that fight will fall apart. Let’s take an overview of these rather candid remarks. By St. Mark’s diary, Jesus’ ministry has just begun. Jesus has healed several paralyzed and sick persons. He has preached to numerous crowds. He has broken the Sabbath as they interpreted it. He has called the Twelve to be with him as interns for on-the-job-trai…