Luke 12:49-59 Year C Trinity 10/Proper 15
PRAY
Helen is a fifteen year old Christian with a thirteen year old brother, Stephen. When Helen goes to church or the Christian Union at school Stephen will poke fun at her, claim that Jesus didn't rise from the dead, or make comments about Christianity being boring. She used to get really bothered by Stephen and confused because he couldn't see the truth of Christianity. Then she read today's passage, and it all started to make sense...
We will look at this passage using three headings : Fire; Division; and Signs.
Fire.
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
Fire is used in the Bible as a picture for judgement or purification. Before today's reading Jesus had been telling his disciples to be ready for his return, something that we looked at last week ( Luke 12:32-40 ). So, from the surrounding verses we can tell that Jesus is talking about the time after his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension when he will return and judge the living and the dead, as we say in The Creed.
The reason that Jesus wishes that this fire was already starting is found in the next verse... 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!
The baptism that Jesus referred to is his suffering and death on the cross.
Crucifixion was one of the most cruel and barbarous forms of death known to man. It was practiced, especially in times of war, by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Egyptians, and later by the Romans. So dreaded was it that even in the pre-Christian era, the cares and troubles of life were often compared to a cross.
Crucifixion was reserved for slaves, and non-Romans citizens. It was considered a humiliating death, not least because those condemned were hung by a main road as a deterrent. Before crucifixion the condemned person was scourged with a whip, then made to carry the cross-bar to the scene of the execution where the hands were nailed to it and the legs twisted so that both heels were secured by a single nail to the upright post. The agony of the crucified victim was brought about by the painful but relatively superficial character of the wounds inflicted, the abnormal position of the body with the slightest movement causing additional torture, and the traumatic fever induced by hanging for such a long period of time.
Recent medical studies have shown that when a person is suspended by his two hands, the blood sinks rapidly into the lower extremities of the body. Within six to twelve minutes the blood pressure has dropped to half, while the rate of the pulse has doubled. The heart is deprived of blood, and fainting follows. Death during crucifixion was probably due to heart failure, although some have suggested it was caused by suffocation, or even hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. Victims of crucifixion did not generally die for two or three days. Death was hastened by the "crucifragium" or the breaking of the legs. "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs" (John 19:33). Among the Jews, a numbing potion was prepared by the merciful women of Jerusalem, a drink that Christ refused (Mark 15:23). This was this kind of death that God, in Christ, faced for sinful humankind.
Most people have endured the ending of a relationship with someone we have loved. Perhaps by the other person's death, or possibly something has happened to spoil the relationship. Maybe the other person blamed us for something we did not do.
On the cross Jesus not only suffered an excruciating death, but his relationship with God the Father was severed as he voluntarily took upon himself the punishment for the sins of the world. That punishment was separation from God. That is why , on the cross, Jesus cried out, 'My God, my God why have you forsaken me ? ' ( Matthew 27:46 ). Jesus received the blame for our sin.
Jesus knew this was going to happen. This is why he was distressed, verse 50. This reminds us of the humanity of Jesus. As a human being he went through everything that we have, except one. He never sinned. Therefore, he was able to offer himself as a perfect sacrifice on the cross for the sin of the world, which is something that we remember and proclaim in our service tonight. He is also able to sympathise with us in our sufferings because he has been through them, too. Jesus suffered physically, spiritually and emotionally. He was betrayed by a close friend, abandoned by many of his disciples, misunderstood by his family and those who claimed to be God's people.
Whilst Jesus brings his followers peace with God he brings...
Division.
This week I watched a fifty one year old movie called 'Harvey'. It featured James Stewart as a polite, charming, often inebriated 42 year-old man who had an imaginary friend, a 6 ft 3.5 inch rabbit called Harvey. Stewart's sister tried to have him committed to a sanatorium. As the film went on the sister and the psychiatrist met the rabbit, and there was a division between those who had come under the influence of 'Harvey' and those who had not. In the end it was decided not to treat Stewart as he was a better person with the rabbit than without it.
I am sure that some people see Christians like this, that we have seen or experienced something weird, but that as long as it is harmless and we think it does us good then we should be humoured.
Whilst Christians have had their eyes opened supernaturally to the truth about Jesus, this leads to a real division with the world. Verses 51-53 refer to this.
Verses 49f are about the person and earthly ministry of Christ. The rest of the passage refers to people's reaction, concentrating on those who reject Christ.
The Bible says that individuals are either slaves to God, or slaves of the devil. People follow the way of darkness or light. Each way is opposed to the other and will lead to division. This even occurs between members of the same family. In some circumstances this can be anything from an apathetic indifference to hostile, even murderous opposition. Whatever reaction we might have encountered at some time or another, this will sadden the believer.
Jesus said that he had come that those who follow him may have life in abundance, John 10:10. Christians have had this revealed to them so, when we see someone who we know and love failing to have this quality of life and the hope of a fuller life in glory, this brings sadness. We can be comforted in the knowledge that God loves everyone more than we ever can. We can be reassured when we face opposition that Jesus told his disciples to expect this.
Sometimes when discussing spiritual things people say that they would believe in God if he did a certain thing for them or if he revealed himself to them in a way that they expect. Our last section shows that people cannot expect this, because there are already Signs to direct them, verses 54-59.
Signs.
A sign outside a Crematorium in Palo Alto, California... "Drive carefully. We can wait"
A notice board outside a church read, ' Tonight's Bible Study Subject: "HELL" A warm welcome awaits you.'
An Anglican church in Bradford, Yorkshire had this sign outside it... "If you are looking for a sign from God... this is it! Come to church on Sunday!"
In this country the weather is so unpredictable that even the weather forecasters with their satellites and computers make mistakes. It is a little more obvious in Israel ! A wind from the west was from the Mediterranean Sea and would bear moisture bringing clouds and rain. A wind from the south was from the desert bringing hot weather.
Jesus is now talking to the crowd, verse 54. He calls them hypocrites, literally play actors, pretending to be something they are not. They pretended to know God's ways but were missing the Messiahship of Jesus. Would they be able to see him as the Messiah as he was arrested, condemned and crucified ? Would they realise that he rose from the dead and gives new life and power to those who follow him ? Would they heed his words about the judgment coming of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and get out before the Romans killed it's inhabitants and reduced it to rubble ?
Jesus tells them to judge for yourselves. Whatever the influence of the Pharisees, the Romans, or a person's family each individual bears their own responsibility for their response to Jesus. The signs of the times called for an immediate decision before judgment came on the Jewish nation.
A university professor tells of being invited to speak at a military base one December and there meeting an unforgettable soldier named Ralph. Ralph had been sent to meet him at the airport, and after they had introduced themselves, they headed toward the baggage claim.
As they walked down the concourse, Ralph kept disappearing. Once to help an older woman whose suitcase had fallen open. Once to lift two toddlers up to where they could see Santa Claus. And again to give directions to someone who was lost. Each time he came back with a big smile on his face.
"Where did you learn to do that?" the professor asked. "Do what?" Ralph said "Where did you learn to live like that?" "Oh," Ralph said, "during the war, I guess." Then he told the professor about his tour of duty in Vietnam, about how it was his job to clear mine fields, and how he watched his friends blow up before his eyes, one after another.
"I learned to live between steps," he said. "I never knew whether the next one would be my last, so I learned to get everything I could out of the moment between when I picked up my foot and when I put it down again. Every step I took was a whole new world, and I guess I've just been that way ever since."
The abundance of our lives is not determined by how long we live, but how well we live it. Christ makes abundant life possible if we choose to live it now.
As we saw last week, we don't know when Jesus will return. Therefore, there is an urgency about ensuring that we have made the choice to make him Lord of our life. There is also an urgency for us to share Jesus' love with others. One way we can do this is to invite people along to an 'Alpha Course', a 10 week course covering the basics of the Christian faith. I am looking to start one next month and have already invited a number of people to consider joining. If you would be interested yourself, or would like to invite someone to come, perhaps even with you, then please feel free to ask them and/or contact me. God has given clear signs in nature and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus so people can repent and turn to him.
There is an urgency, illustrated by Jesus. The picture is of a debtor being taken to court by the creditor and being urged to settle up before the judge hears the case and throws him in prison. Once in prison a debtor had no means of earning any money to pay off his debt. The only options were to sell his possessions, his family, even himself.
Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's perfect will for us, which is to love Him with our whole being and to love others people as ourselves, all of the time. This imperfection means everyone is in debit, in the red, before God. We cannot earn enough to bring ourselves into the black. We are all spiritually and morally bankrupt. But the good news is that there is one who can and has paid the price. Who can pay into our account so we are in credit, Jesus.
When Jesus does return everyone throughout history will be judged. No-one will have been good enough by themselves to be admitted into God's presence for eternity. But those who have united their lives with Jesus will be seen by God as perfect. His righteousness will be seen by God in them because their sin has been taken away, nailed to the cross.
This passage features Jesus and two groups, the disciples and the crowd. Where are we today ? With the disciples, united with Jesus ? Or in the crowd, still waiting to judge for yourselves ? And what about your family members ? Where are they ? Can you help them to judge for themselves what is right ?
My mother-in-law Judy was the first member of their family to become a Christian, many years before I met Melanie. Melanie became a Christian a few years later. Judy had been witnessing to and praying for her husband, Roy, for over 10 years. They were on holiday in Hunstanton and met some people there who were conducting a 'Beach Mission' and Roy saw a film about the return of Jesus. They were staying in a caravan at the time and, that night there was the most horrendous storm. Roy thought that the end of the world might be coming and considered that, if it was, he would be separated from his wife and daughter, and left with his mother-in-law ! So he gave his life to Jesus.
Melanie's brother Paul was the last one to repent. He, and his wife Anita gave their lives to Jesus when they came back to England for our wedding in 1984.
God has his own different ways of dealing with people but he is constant in that Jesus is going to return and those who have not repented with face eternity without Him.