Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56

           Throughout this church year, St. Luke has been the primary source of our Gospel lessons.  We know Luke to be the advocate for the downtrodden and the outcast.  It is Luke only who tells the tender story of the birth of Jesus through the perspective of his mother Mary.  It is Luke only who brings us the well-known and beloved story of the Good Samaritan.  And, it is from Luke that we learn of Jesus’ bold healing ministry to the widows, the sinful, and the non-Jews.

The writer of Luke, is known for his erudite Greek in which the inspired work was written originally in flowing poetic style.  And, this learned and cultured approach is part of the reason that Biblical scholars agree that the Gospel according to Luke was written during the latter part of the first century by one who was well-educated – possibly a physician.  By this time the writer would have the benefit of 50 or more years to observe outwardly and digest inwardly the impact and meaning of the life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ.

Luke’s narrative describes the settings in which Jesus is speaking to the elite of His day on the behalf of those who are beaten down by society.  And, in this way Luke speaks to the elite of the late first century, and to the elite from that time until today.  As possessors of the Good News, we are the privileged elite of today – Luke speaks to US.

We perceive Luke as the advocate for the downtrodden, a gentle and attentive healer.  We treasure the warm feelings of the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and the angels singing of peace on earth to the lowly shepherds.  These are the accounts Luke includes in the beginning of his Gospel – familiar celebratory words we love to hear every Christmas season.

So, when we encounter words such as those in this morning’s Gospel lesson, we feel a little startled and hurt.  “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!”

We had a clue of the changing tide for Luke some weeks ago in our lesson that spoke of Jesus’ face being set toward Jerusalem.   We began then to realize that the crucifixion is imminent, drawing near much too quickly.  Luke has moved on from his sweet stories of the Babe in the manger and the young boy teaching in the temple, left behind by his parents.  For today’s lesson at this point in his narrative there is urgency in Luke’s sharp tone.  There is urgency in the need to take a stand – to make a decision – a frighteningly difficult decision.

Jesus speaks of the fire of judgment and the baptism of the Passion that is to come.  He says, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” (NRSV Luke 12:51).   But, the angels had said, “Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.” We read it at Christmas; it’s right back here in Chapter 2.

To better understand the message, it helps to consider the difference between purpose and result.   Remember, by the time these words are recorded, Luke has had 50 years to digest the results of Jesus’ life and works, death and resurrection.  Was it Jesus’ purpose to bring division to the earth or was the division rather the inevitable result brought about by Jesus’ confrontation with the evil of the world?  How often as parents do we bring division to our households – not as a purpose of our actions but the result of our actions taken in the interest of safety, discipline, and a healthier future – the necessary result, we would hope, on the road to true familial peace?  How difficult is it in this incredible summer heat to root out the weeds from our flowerbeds without damaging or destroying the flowering plants that are blooming along side with roots intermingled?

For the people of Jesus’ time, Caesar Augustus had brought a peace of sorts.  His peace was known as Pax Romana– the Latin phrase for Roman Peace.  Pax Romana is considered to have existed from the time Caesar Augustus became emperor in 27 BC and continued under his succeeding emperors until 180 AD.  Pax Romana was an enforced peace – peace at all cost that established social order and ended the aggressive Roman invasions.  It was also a peace that defied any degree of unrest or dissent expressed toward the current Roman emperor.  The Pax Romana was a frustration to Roman soldiers who felt that peace could exist only when Rome had conquered the entire known world.  To Jews and Christians of this time period who worshiped the one God, the Pax Romana posed a grave threat when politics forced them to choose whom they would worship publicly as their ruler.

So, then, for many of these first century followers to whom Jesus is speaking, choosing to follow Jesus meant severe persecution, often death by political authorities or out casting by families and religious leaders.

Even today, as we take our religious freedoms for granted, making the decision to unite ourselves with Jesus Christ is not always peaceful.  It often involves defying the current rulers of our lives.  It can be a fearful decision.  Daily, we learn of God’s people losing their lives as they pursue their mission in war-torn areas of the world and violence riddled areas of our country.  Too often, the decision to follow Christ’s call leads to earthly death on the road to peace.

Few of us will face this extent of danger.  What is it that we have to fear from our union with Christ?  Would it mean giving up a vice that brings us great pleasure, being led by God’s will into an uncertain mission field or seemingly frightening ministry, or being divided from earthly things to which we feel a need to cling – maybe even family members or friends.

Our Christian journey is filled with uncertainty.  The deeper we delve into our faith, the more questions confront us.  Yes, our Holy Scriptures have answers, but mostly the scriptures promote even more questions.  If this were not so, we would read our instruction manual, consider ourselves knowledgeable of all there is to know about following Jesus Christ, put the book aside, consider our faith journey complete, and not give it another thought. Jesus Christ came to earth to cause us to confront our ambiguities – to question, to find little answers, to question some more, to keep searching, to keep seeking his guidance.

Yes, in our decisions there will be division, maybe even danger, but the end is peace – not an enforced earthly peace that squashes the division, but true peace.  The writer of Hebrews speaks of the pain of discipline and the peaceful fruit of righteousness that is the result.  Luke implores us to heed his sense of urgency – to not be dragged before the judge unprepared; to carry with us the words from Hebrews, “Lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely and run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” [NRSV Hebrews 12:1] – looking to Jesus for the true peace that passes all understanding.