I’ve arrived back at this space, after vacation, to discover that the reading for this coming Sunday, Luke 12:49-56, is one that I would rather avoid! Jesus tells his disciples and the crowds that he has not come to bring peace to the earth but rather division. This disunity will be so severe that it will break apart highly-valued family relationships. He says that his message contains a fire that once kindled will burn until his baptism — his ministry, death, and resurrection — are completed.
I suppose that we could relegate these words to the archives, saying that Jesus’ baptism is now accomplished, and that divine peace has replaced divine fire. Yet, I fear that if we do so, we set aside an important facet of the Gospel. Jesus’ messages of love, grace, and reconciliation are not just words to make us feel good and comfortable. Instead, I believe that God through them continues to both invite and challenge us.
Living by faith, putting into action what we hear God saying, we sometimes have to make difficult decisions about living out God’s vision for our lives and for the world. This might include how we relate to others, government, leaders, the marginalised, etc…
However in the midst of this, I hear messages in other parts of the Bible which suggest that Jesus does see such division as permanent, or even good. So we hear in our 2nd lesson this week, Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2, that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. God didn’t break down the walls of sin so that we might build more. Instead, the Creator promises to keep working in us and through to cause barriers to fall down and to build a new community. In the midst of our disunity, we can pray that God uses us in this creating, so that one day, all people might come together to praise God.
