Sermon Notes on Luke
12:49-56
The clarity of Jesus’
truth brings division.
What in the world are we supposed to do with this text?
Isn’t Jesus supposed to be the “Prince of Peace”? How is it that, in our text
for today, we hear him warning us that he did not come to bring peace, but
rather division and conflict? Frankly, I’ve had enough division and conflict. I
don’t need Jesus to bring me any more. Anybody here need more conflict in their
lives?
You know what I need from Jesus? How about comfort? How about
some assurance that we are forgiven and that we are promised eternal life? How
about some guidance to help us get through this crazy world? How about some
strength to face the conflicts that
we know are coming anyway? These are the things that I
want from Jesus. I don’t think I want to order anything from the “conflict and
division” section of the Jesus catalog.
What do you say we just skip this part of Luke? Let’s move
on to the parts that make us feel better about ourselves and our lives and
forget about this whole idea of Jesus bringing division. What do you think?
At first blush, it feels like picking and choosing from the
Jesus catalog would make things much easier. And it’s true, Jesus offers us all
of the things that I just mentioned… but if we ignore these words of Jesus it
leaves us with a BIG problem. You see, we believe that Jesus really was and is
the very heart, word, and will of God, God in the flesh. We also believe that
these Gospels are a true witness to who Jesus was and what he taught and did.
We believe that the Holy Spirit worked through men and women to bring us this
text to us in just the way that we have it today.
I guess what I’m saying is, we believe and teach that this
is the written word of God and we are stuck with it. God wants us to wrestle
with this text and let it speak its truth to us, even if it is hard for us to
hear. So…I guess we’d better quit whining and get down to business.
Jesus tells us that he did not come to bring peace to the
earth. Rather he came to bring “fire” and “division”.
Let’s take on the “fire” first. We tend to think of fire as
a destructive and negative force so it’s no wonder we are asking, “What is
Jesus getting at here?” This fire, the fire Jesus is talking about in our text
for today, is not about random destruction. The fire Jesus longs to bring is
the purifying fire of God’s judgment. It only destroys the things that separate
us from God. This is the fire that consumes the garbage, chaff, excesses,
excuses, and spiritual disease in our lives. The fire that Jesus brings does
not destroy people. It only destroys the things in us and in the world that keep us from God and from becoming the people God
longs for us to be. Still, if we have filled our lives with this kind of
flammable stuff, Jesus loves us enough to make things very hot for us.
And what about division? Why would
Jesus bring division and conflict? Well, it’s kind of funny how clarity brings
conflict. When everything is kind of foggy and everybody can do and be whatever
is right in their own eyes, there is much less division and conflict because
everyone can see it their own way. When someone comes along and says, “This is the way. This is what God expects from you. This is what is important to God. This is how God expects you to treat each other.”,
suddenly where each of us stands is clear and we have a choice to make. We can
either walk in the way of Christ or not, but we can’t hide in the fog anymore.
When we are faced with the fact that we stand in different places on these
basic, core issues, there is going to be division.
Most of us, I think, prefer the fog. In the fog we can have
things our own way and ignore or rationalize just about any behavior, decision,
or priority. When the way is not clear, one way looks as good as another.
When the light of Jesus’ truth burns away the fog, we can
see exactly where we stand and, if we don’t like what we see, we will probably
try to generate some more fog so that it is not quite so obvious that we are
far from the path toward which Jesus is pointing.
When the light of Jesus’ truth reveals that loving God and
our neighbor should be the top priority in our lives, sometimes we need a
little fog to justify how we spend our time and money.
When the light of Jesus’ truth reveals that we are called to
bring the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness to the world around us,
sometimes we need some fog to cover our unwillingness to take risks and our
tendency to act as if the Gospel is only for us and our own needs.
When the light of Jesus’ truth reveals that we are supposed
to be God’s loving hands, feet, and word for those who
are suffering, we need a little fog so that we can hide our petty concerns and
continue to nurse our conflicts over things that mean nothing to God.
As we stand in the clarity of Christ’s truth, as we see how
far each of us is from the place to which Jesus is calling us, we have a choice
to make. We could settle into our divisions and generate enough fog to hide
them. We could form little factions and use most of our energy criticizing each
other for our failures. But I think there is a better way. As we stand in the clarity of Christ’s truth,
as we see how far each of us is from the place to which Jesus is calling us, we
can humble ourselves, repent, and come together so that Jesus’ will for us and
for the world can be done in us, among us, and through us.
It is a hard truth, Jesus brings division among us because
the light of Jesus’ truth reveals how far we are from each other and from the
life God longs for us to live. The fire of God’s judgment makes us angry
because it burns away at things we have come to accept and even enjoy, even
though they are killing our souls. May God give us the humility and courage to
repent so that, by coming together around Jesus’ truth, we can overcome our
divisions and become the people God has called us to be.
May God give us the humility and courage to repent so that, together, we can
bring the light of Christ’s love into the world. Amen
