Here Comes Trouble
Luke 12:49-56
I want to begin with a safety warning this morning.
You know me – I want to keep you all safe, secure and serene.
“Do not ride in automobiles; they cause 20 percent of all fatal accidents.
Do not stay at home; 17 percent of all accidents occur in the home.
Do not walk on the street or sidewalk; 14 percent of all accidents occur to pedestrians.
Do not travel by air, rail or water; 16 percent of all accidents happen on these.
"However, only .001% of all deaths reported occur in worship services.
Hence, the safest place for you to be is in church.
Sunday School is also relatively safe."
For most of us here, worshipping, learning and following Jesus Christ is a relatively safe practice, but for many others who chose to follow him – it is a path fraught with danger.
Today’s passage from the twelfth chapter of Luke is one of those difficult passages and teachings of Jesus. If this was the only passage that someone read about Jesus of Nazareth – they might think twice about following him when they see that he was a trouble maker, a radical and dangerous.
Jesus says;
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, 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."
Hmmm…Jesus wants to shake things up.
One thing is for sure – if this was all you heard about following Jesus – you might think twice before jumping right in. Fighting and disagreement amongst families? Sounds like following Jesus is like playing with matches – it can be very pretty dangerous.
Where is the Jesus that we sing about at Christmas – who comes to bring peace on earth and good will to all? Isaiah 11:
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
Where is the Jesus who said in Luke 6, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Luke 6:27-28)
Where is the Jesus that says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9
It is one and the same Jesus. This Jesus who came in the name of peace is also the one who came to shake things up. Jesus the troublemaker. Jesus the rabble-rouser. Even Mary, his mother knew she had a trouble maker on her hands. In what is known as the Magnificat, Mary sings about the work of God through her child.
My soul magnifies the Lord….
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty. Luke 1
And now this passage has Jesus talking about an increase in family feuds. That’s all we need is an increase in family feuds and fighting. Certainly there is enough fighting, anger, and dysfunction amongst families already – isn’t there?
I thought a great deal this week about families. Talking about family matters can be a very sore subject for many people. Behind the closed doors of our homes – there is a great deal of unrest. There is dysfunction, anger, domestic violence, problems with drugs and alcohol. I have heard either in the news or in person – too many sad and tearful stories about what goes on in our homes.
And so this passage really deserves a closer look. I want to point out two things about this passage today - the imagery of fire and the image of family divided.
Fire has the potential to be both good and bad. It is powerful and life-giving; it can warm, cook, inspire, guide, ward off animals, help form and shape both pottery and tools.
We sing about fire – and it’s all very cozy.
It only takes a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Can warm up in its glowing
That's how it is with God's love
Once you've experienced it
You spread His love to ev'ryone
You want to pass it on. (Pass it On by Kurt Kaiser)
A nice warm image of everyone sitting around a campfire singing. Please pass the s’mores.
But fire can also kill. It is a powerful force and can burn and consume all that is around it. It can kill and ravage forests, plants, animals, homes and lives. Firefighters work quickly to control a fire because just a spark or an ember can kindle and fuel a fire to and turn it into an out of control blaze.
At this point in Luke’s narrative, Jesus was journeying towards Jerusalem, heading towards his arrest, death and resurrection – his baptism by fire. What was ahead was going to be a powerful force that would change lives, change the world and everything around it. But it hadn’t happened yet – and was still to come. Using the image of fire Jesus says that it was not yet kindled, but that it would be a powerful thing.
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!
The effects of this powerful fire was going to cause problems. Forget the status quo – this blaze was going to disrupt, disturb, displace and divide.
51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, 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."
It’s important to look at the cause of this division – just like it’s important to examine the cause of any divisions and problems within any family or a church families. In this case – the cause of this division is the power of the work of Christ on the cross. There are times when choosing to follow Christ and his teaching is going to cause some problems. Fire is disruptive – and if one is truly changed within and has given their body, mind and spirit to God then it might bring about some disruptions and divisions. This passage is descriptive, but it is not necessarily prescriptive. It doesn’t give anyone license to go home and start a fight with a family member.
But if one has given themselves to Jesus Christ and they are ready to follow Him – then there could be trouble ahead. Jesus came to love, heal, bring hope and light to the dark places of our world. He came to “do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God” and asks us to do the same. And at times that causes divisions and disruption. It doesn’t ok fighting for fighting’s sake. It is a passage that is descriptive and not necessarily prescriptive.
Churches ought to be a sanctuary for those who are suffering. A place to find peace and serenity – especially because there is so much turmoil, anxiety, fear and stress. But when we are being the church outside in the world, we ought to be a spark and bring life and warmth and change to the dark, hurtful places of the world. Sometimes that is going to make people unhappy.
This past week Lyle Webster and I had a conversation about former pastor Ken Downe’s first sermon here in Littleton – which was around 1991. Ken’s sermon was entitled Ember, Spark, Flame.
Ken spoke about the EMBERS of faith which were a “glowing goal that every child of God is created with.” SPARKS were the resources, activities and persons like an experience at camp, a mission trip or something difficult such as a death or an illness. Those SPARKS - fan the glowing EMBERS of our faith, so that they are kindled into a FLAME. Ken said this, “God’s FLAME is not wimpy, it is not timid, this is a spirit of Power—strong—and at times UNCONTROLLABLE. When the spark of faith has ignited, we see an overflowing of the spirit which seems to erupt into a passion about the gospel that is beyond comprehension.”
Listen to the passion in that image – again with fire. We all have an ember within us – and when that ember is sparked – the flame of God is uncontrollable and the energy and passion is there to do something for God no matter what the cost. Even if people get upset.
Mark Malmquist had an ember of faith inside him and it was sparked by both his love for his friends and his deep desire to help and make a difference. All of a sudden – it ignited and the fire was kindled and the Flame was burning so strong - that it was let loose and a house was renovated in a weeks’ time. People came out of the woodwork to contribute, and to work in 90 degree hot and humid weather. The energy and flame within Mark – sparked and ignited the ember in others and look at the energy it created. Look out – here comes trouble. And most likely in ways that we don’t know – some people somewhere were not happy. But that couldn’t stop the work of God.
And we have seen those embers ignited before with Mark – and four other church friends who could not sit still and traveled down to Louisiana to work on the cleanup of Hurricane Rita. That flame didn’t go out when they returned and they lead another larger group back down.
Look out here comes trouble.
Look out here comes trouble - in the name of Jesus Christ.
It was interesting to read the rest of Ken Downe’s sermon. He concluded by saying “My dream is that this church and every church would discover those things that would spark their corporate FLAME. My dream is a church were people would experience the POWER of God in the same way that Jeremiah described God to the people of this time; “like a fire or sledgehammer that breaks the rock in pieces.” Do you know how I would know when the church had discovered that power? I would know because people in this town would be saying, “watch out, First Baptist Church is a Dangerous Place. Don’t go there unless you want to be changed.” Yes, (First Baptist Church is) a Dangerous place.”
In the last few lines of the passage today Jesus points out that people have trouble discerning the signs of the times. Well that is true – sometimes we do. At times it is a confusing, loud, noisy world – but you know what?
We recognize fire when we see it. It is a powerful and recognizable force. It is hot and it is bright and it only takes a spark.
Look out – here comes trouble.
Amen
Rev. Deborah J. Blanchard
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