The Division and Peace of Christ Message by DD Adams 13 th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST August 14, 2016 T oday s gospel lesson is from the book of Luke, chapter 12, verses 49 through 56. I ll be reading from the Common English Bible. I came to cast fire upon the earth. How I wish that it was already ablaze! I have a baptism I must experience. How I am distressed until it s completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I have come instead to bring division. From now on, a household of five will be divided three against two and two against three. Father will square off against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-inlaw. Jesus also said to the crowds, When you see a cloud forming in the west, you immediately say, It s going to rain. And indeed it does. And when a south wind blows, you say, A heat wave is coming. And it does. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret conditions on earth and in the sky. How is it that you don t know how to interpret the present time? This is God s word for God s people. Thanks be to God. Let s pray. God of truth, make our hearts soft as you plant your word deep in us. Make the roots of your word continue to grow in us as we give ourselves to you and live into the life of a disciple. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen. Peace be with you! Peace is exactly what Jesus is not teaching in this passage. It s a harsh and difficult passage. Jesus said things people didn t want to 1
hear much less do. He was a curve breaker and turned things upside down and right side up. Jesus wasn t born to make friends on earth; he came to tell the truth to reveal sin and destroy the works of the devil. As Jesus moves closer to Jerusalem, he addresses his disciples and the crowds. He s well aware of the impending conflict and violence ahead of him. Jesus mentions fire and baptism in this passage. For Luke, fire speaks of judgement and being refined. The baptism speaks of Jesus suffering and death that atones for the sin of the world. Jesus suffered and died for love of his creation, he became that bridge between God and humanity so our relationship with God would once again be restored. In verses 49 and 50 Jesus said, I came to cast fire upon the earth. How I wish that it was already ablaze! I have a baptism I must experience. How I am distressed until it s completed! Woe ah! Wait a minute! Jesus is distressed about the fire he wants to throw on the earth, and he can t wait till it s finished! That s what he said. I don t know about you, but I d much rather talk about the peace we have with God through Christ then hear Jesus say he s going to cast fire on the earth. The apostle Paul talks about this peace with God we have in his letters. It s based on the righteous of Christ. We re declared righteous by Christ through faith. We ve put our trust in him, and the result is peace with God. Okay. This is good news, but I ve sure prayed that this peace of Christ would wave itself like a magic wand over the world and we d have peace with everybody! But no, what we see is division and conflict. Maybe everyone hasn t experienced this division, but many have. When Christ turns a life and heart and upside down, trouble can begin to brew in a family. Division and conflict makes its way known in relationships, especially in a family where God isn t honored by everyone! Jesus said they will be divided, 2
father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. There s conflict, division, and then rejection. Rejection has got to be one of the worst things a person could experience. God created us to be the body of Christ, to be interwoven with love that s strong. We want to belong in community and to be accepted. Jesus talks about the deepest kind of rejection in this passage from those who love us the most family. We can see rejection for Jesus in his family. When he returned to his hometown of Nazareth he couldn t do many miracles. They rejected him, and refused to know him as anyone except a carpenter s son. Jesus sisters and brothers witnessed miracles, but they wouldn t accept him. But he didn t give up, He continued on his way to the cross, and did what his Father had called him to do. Jesus was a stumbling stone and foolishness to the Gentiles. He was a rock of offense. The world hated him because he spoke the truth and was the truth without compromise. In the temple, Simeon said to Jesus mother, This boy is assigned to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that generates opposition. Peter denied him, and the disciples scattered when he was arrested in the garden. Jesus dealt with rejection, he created opposition, because he revealed the thoughts and intentions of people s hearts. Conflict and division are necessary if there s to be peace on earth. Suffering and troubles must come before the world can see that only Christ can bring peace. Jesus said... in this world you will have trouble but be of good cheer for I ve overcome the world. One might wonder, is pain and suffering, rejection and conflict woven into God s divine master plan. Jesus surely didn t avoid it. 3
There s a price for peace, and a price for working toward justice and equality in the world. It comes first to our individual need for God in our lives, and then it flows from us into the world through works of forgiveness, love, freedom, and compassion. The saints that came before us never received what was promised on earth, but they worked and waited for it. Saints of God were stoned, rejected, boiled in oil, crucified upside-down, imprisoned, stoned to death, beheaded, exiled, cut in two Hebrews 11 says the world didn t deserve them. Yet they suffered just like Jesus who endured for the joy that was set before them. They didn t give up. They didn t keep silent, but continued in faith, because they knew their reward. Now Jesus has given us the responsibility. In the last part of this passage Jesus points the eyes of people into the sky and says, You know how to interpret conditions on earth and in the sky. How is it that you don t know how to interpret the present time? Are we staying alert and ready for Christ s second coming? No one knows the hour, and we don t want to be caught unprepared, so let s act now like Christ is here! And he is here! Let s give to the poor, and do all we can to live out the kingdom of God because it s in our midst now! Christ is saying we need to interpret the present time, and to get a new pair of lens that puts us all into reality. Listening and receiving instruction from Jesus is the first step. How do we respond to inequality, poverty, and suffering? People are everywhere that need our help. Not just financially, but they need encouragement and a listening ear. What does this message say to us? Expect to be rejected, but respond in love best you can. If Christ was rejected don t think it so unusual if you are. Give when there s a need and do all you can to make a difference. The world is challenged by its selfishness and egocentric ways, but make Christ your way, repent of your sin, and start living for the one who gave you life. 4
Let s pray. Help us to run this race with confidence in your word and way. Let us throw off the extra baggage of distractions that blind our eyes to the truth. Move within our hearts today we pray. Amen. 5