In
the Cultural Dictionary of the Bible, author John Pilch quotes a modern dictum
that he claims is as true in the past as it is today. “The weather. Everybody
talks about it, but no one can do anything about it.” Along with gun violence,
issues of addiction, health care, immigration reform, and economic trade wars,
I think climate change ranks right up there: issues we talk about, and yet no
one seems to be able to do anything about. At least, not in the ways we can all
agree upon.
I
think your vicar was not only happy to enjoy some time away with his family
today, but also glad that he didn’t have to preach on today’s lessons. In an
email exchange with me, he basically said “good luck” in what he called a “bear
of a gospel.” In addition to his threats of fire and division, Jesus called his
religious leaders hypocrites. This is definitely not a preacher’s dream for a
Sunday morning sermon!
“Do you think that I have come to
bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division,” said Jesus on
his way to Jerusalem. Now that isn’t the warm fuzzy Jesus that I knew as a
child. When people claim that Jesus is more peaceful and loving than the folks
in the old testament, I point to passages like these. Quite frankly, given
today’s gospel lesson, Jesus is not who I would ask for help when families,
churches, and nations are dividing into bitter camps!
The Bible is full of stories about
conflict; and our present time is no different. Pick a subject, any subject,
pick a country, any country, pick a political party, or any religious system,
and you will find various levels of conflict. Some are creative and
constructive, when disagreements are easily resolved and compromises are
quickly found. Other conflicts are soul destroying, like world wars, hate crimes,
and bitter divorces.
There
are tell-tale signs when trouble is brewing. "When you see a cloud rising
in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain'; and so it happens. And
when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat';
and it happens.” Jesus was critical of his leaders for being able to interpret
the signs of upcoming weather, that is superficial realities, but not the real
signs of their present time. People were unhappy; and their institutions needed
reform.
When
trouble is brewing, we can see signs. There is a need for sameness, and a
decreased tolerance for differences. Some call it herding. We comfort ourselves
with narratives that support our beliefs, closing our minds to people who don’t
share our perspectives. We look for quick fixes and simple answers. We
attribute malicious intent; and conspiracy theories abound. Conflict creates
anxiety, and as our anxiety increases, we become more reactive, less able to
step back and reflect. We hurt others with our words and actions; and our
protests turn violent.
Like
the times of Jeremiah and Jesus, there are signs of political, social,
religious and economic unrest today throughout our world. Trouble is brewing.
The recent protests in Hong Kong and the division in Kashmir are cases in
point. This week the House of Bishops in Hong Kong issued a pastoral letter
calling for kindness, tolerance, and dialogue. Concerned about the escalating
violence, the executive director of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam, said, “The stability
and well-being of 7 million people are in jeopardy,” her voice breaking
slightly. “Take a minute to think about that. Do we really want to push our
home, this city, into the abyss where it will be smashed into pieces?’ There
was soul searching by everyone after the chaos at the Hong Kong airport.
Hammers,
like conflict, can be destructive. When we smash something that is valuable, we
destroy something that is important, and sometimes not easily replaced. Hammers
of violence and vitriol can do that to our relationships, to our cities, and
our countries. When we are out of control with anger, we can be pushed and we
can push others into the abyss. Hammers, however, like conflict, can also be
constructive and creative. A jack hammer will break apart a road that needs
rebuilding. It is a tool that makes our
jobs easier, and something that will lay a foundation for the new road to
travel on.
Fires,
like hammers and conflict, can be both destructive and constructive. When
forest fires burned out of control in California, people died, homes were
destroyed, and lives were changed. And yet when the wildfires were redirected
by new fires, they became life-saving. Some species of trees actually require
fire for their seeds to sprout; and during wildfires, when nutrients from dead
trees are returned to the soil, and exposed to more sunlight, seedlings will
begin to sprout and grow. New life can result from these kinds of fires.
(Wikipedia)
Let
me return for a moment to the weather. Weather interpretation was significantly
different in the times of Jesus. There were no weather channels or daily alerts
about upcoming storms. They basically knew what was coming, and Palestine’s location in latitude is roughly
equal to that of southern Califormia. While their weather, political, and
religious issues may be similar to ours today, however, their understanding of
our world was very different. Our ancestors believed that whatever happened was
caused by a human being or some other heavenly force. Rain was not a result of
natural condensation; rather it came from God, who also caused droughts, fires,
and earthquakes. These were all signs of God’s displeasure or approval,
depending upon the people and the situation at hand.
“Hypocrites’
is what Jesus called his religious leaders. “I want to believe that God might
choose to work through imperfect beings like me rather than consuming us in
(the) divine flames of justice,” wrote Elizabeth Palmer. “Until it comes to
those people with whom I most disagree about politics, religion, and social responsibility.
Then I'm right there with the prophet Jeremiah (and Jesus) in wanting to call
down divine judgment upon their empty claims and false promises. And I'm far
too willing to make quick judgments about my opponents, identifying them as
‘those who (offer false dreams) and prophesy lies. This is why it's actually
good news that God is a consuming fire. Better God than us.” (Elizabeth Palmer,
August 11, 2016, Christian Century)
In
today’s gospel, Jesus said “I came to bring fire to the earth.” “If our world
were nothing but a place of created goodness and profound beauty, then Jesus’
challenge would be deeply troubling,” wrote Teresa Berger. “If, on the other hand, our world is deeply
scarred, with systems that are exploitative, then redemption can come only when
those systems are shattered and consumed by fire. Jesus comes not to disturb a
nice world but to shatter the systems that stifle life.” (by Teresa Berger,
Christian Century, August 10, 2004)
So
you see, when Jesus said that he came to bring fire to the earth, the news
isn’t all bad. Bringing fire to the earth is not just a message of God’s
judgment and displeasure, or God’s desire to destroy those things that kill
life and parts of creation. No, God’s fire is also a purifying flame, naturally
cleaning up our messes, warming our souls, shedding light in times of darkness,
and empowering us for action.
As
“Mediator in Chief” Jesus came to restore our relationships, and help people
who have become divided or are caught up in a soul-destroying conflict. Not
afraid to interpret the troubling signs of his time, at his own peril, He spoke
truth to power, challenged the leaders and the systems of his country, and
continued his walk to Jerusalem. There, he endured the cross, disregarding its
shame, so that he could fulfill God’s mission of reconciliation, and become
known as the Prince of Peace.
Both
Jeremiah and Jesus were prophets who called for institutional reform. They were
jack hammers and fire lighters, seekers of justice and mercy, for the benefit
of all humankind. Not running for political office nor wanting to become King
of the Jews, they didn’t always promise peace and unity, periodically
prophesying fire and division. Sometimes new fires need to be lighted to
redirect our love. Sometimes old things need to be torn down before they can be
rebuilt.
Prophets
often speak of dreams, and God has a dream for all of us. It’s called
Salvation. And while not everybody is talking about it, like the weather, God
did do something about it. As a Christian, I believe that God sent Jesus to
show us the way to our salvation. And yet, the question remains for all of us,
regardless of our faith, what are we going to do about it?
In
the words of Peter, Paul, and Mary, if I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning and I'd hammer in the evening, all over this
land. I'd hammer out danger, I'd hammer out warning, and I'd hammer out love
between my brothers and my sisters, all over this world. Like Jeremiah, I would
remind people of God’s hammer. Like Jesus, I would light some fires. This is
the Jesus Movement, which is the Way of Love, a love of both justice and mercy.
Amen.
Jeremiah 23:23-29
Psalm 82
Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Luke 12:49-56
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