The Gospel of Luke 12:49-56
Jesus said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, `It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, `There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”
Let us pray the Collect for This Sunday: Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
With all of the divisiveness present in society these days, it seems like the last thing we need is a gospel text that seemingly encourages more division. In Jesus time there were terrible things going on, but the people wanted to ignore them and put on rose-colored glasses. We also have terrible things going on today with crime, evil and a falling away from God. It is easier for us to ignore it all, but God wants us to see the world as it really is and understand the seriousness of it all. That is how we can understand this message, one of the most striking and unsettling passages in the Gospels. Jesus speaks not of peace, but of fire and division, a message that challenges our assumptions about his mission. After you read this week’s Gospel, what were your thoughts? I am sure you had the same reaction to the message from Jesus as his disciples did. We sit and ask ourselves where is the Jesus who is a loving and peaceful person? We see Jesus expressing his desire to cast fire upon the earth, in reality it is symbolizing the transformative and sometimes disruptive nature of his message. This disruption is not merely a consequence but is seen as core to Jesus’ mission, emphasizing the seriousness of his call to discipleship. Today many of our leaders, both religious leader and political leaders refuse to accept the fact that they are misleading us, about how people should worship God and what they should and should not do. There is a growth of extreme religious nationalism in this country which, I wonder if they haven’t taken this gospel literally and want to bring fire to the earth.
Let us Pray: Forgiving God, We have stayed silent when we have had the opportunity to speak out, fearing disagreement more than sin. Too often, we have robbed your message of its transforming power, quick to present it as one of niceness, rather than one which comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable. Help us to live in the tension of the now and the not yet, safe in the promise of ultimate peace and rest, while learning to live with conflict in the present. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 