My Sermon Today - Luke 12:49-56

Proper 15C

Fire Is Inspirational – Dn. Rodney Conn

Luke is telling us stories in a fast and furious sort of way. Luke just seems to be trying to get down everything that he can about Jesus and then we stumble across this passage. I paraphrased this passage to Sarabel and her response was, “Jesus said that?”

Wow, who would have imagined Jesus the pyromaniac? I’m not comfortable with this Jesus and never have been. I suspect that I’m not the only one. Don’t we all love the Jesus that sits with the little children and teaches us to love them? And who wouldn’t want to sit at Jesus’ table at the wedding when he gets around to turning water to wine? Or to have Jesus there when the doctor gives us bad news?

But this is the Jesus that I grew up with. The preacher would stand in the pulpit, bible in hand, and tell us with absolute certainty that Jesus was here to destroy the world. The end times were at hand with the world ending in fire, a fire that this Jesus is more than happy to start.

And the reading from Isaiah doesn’t give us any comfort. This Jesus, this God is the God of vengeance. This short passage alone is enough to give every fire and brimstone preacher the ammunition to condemn the world.

But before that even happens, there will be a time of great upheaval. Father against son, mother against daughter. Though it may not be much of a prophecy to predict in-law against in-law. And we won’t even see it coming. In fact, Jesus taunts us that we are more likely to predict the coming weather than the end that is to come.

Luke includes this darker Jesus for a reason and we’re left to explore that reason. As Christians, we should be ready for the end on one hand, but have hope for the future on the other. So what is the fire that Jesus is bringing? What could cause households to tear themselves apart?

If we look around, we can see division and arguments across the world, across our country and across our own church. It seems to me that these arguments are getting worse. Even within groups that are seemingly in agreement, any dissension is severely dealt with. Imagine being a Republican during the last presidential election and saying, “I’m voting for Mr. Obama.” Or being a Democrat and thinking the Mrs. Palin really could see Russia from her back door. Well, maybe not that.

But today there seems to be more contention than there has ever been. Perhaps that is because I pay more attention to the world than I ever have. But it could also be due to the stress of our times. Many have been kicked to the ground due to the greed of banks and from some very questionable practices on Wall Street. And now a double dip recession is very likely ahead of us. For those that have been through multiple extensions of unemployment benefits, how much more will there be?

It really does seem like the end of the world at times.

Or what about the controversy in our own church? The English asking our Presiding Bishop not to wear her miter as they didn’t have time to check the validity of her ordination. Or the departure of entire diocese with the expectation that they can take not only their toys, but the sandbox too. Or the real possibility of the American church being asked to separate themselves from the rest of the Anglican Communion. I suspect Elizabeth is turning in her grave. This churches strength has been that we don’t have to agree, we just have to worship together.

But let’s step back for a moment; what is Pyro-Jesus trying to tell us?

One thing we could explore is that it isn’t a literal fire, but rather something else that burns, The Truth.

But as we’ve already danced around, whose truth are we talking about? Ultimately, everyone has their own version of the truth. I certainly am guilty of seeing the world in a perspective that others disagree with. But since I’m always right . . .

Kidding aside, that is the root of the matter. Everyone has their own version of the truth. Speak to the people that pushed to pass Proposition 8, they had the truth. As did those that worked to repeal it. Or the people that don’t want a mosque at Ground Zero, they have the truth – just ask them. Or the people that want to forgive and try to learn, they have the truth.

Our society has split itself – left, right, red state, blue state, for, against – and our church has split itself apart. But this isn’t something new. We’ve had differences in the church since the beginning. Until Martin Luther, those differences were dealt with by the gathering of Councils, or directly by Papal Bull. And since Martin Luther nailed a piece of paper to the door of a German church, we’ve been dividing and subdividing.

Think about what Jesus threw in the text, “. . . why do you not know how to interpret the present time.” Two thousand years ago and they didn’t get it, and it seems neither do we. And that inability is the foundation of the dissension.

But I’m not suggesting that we just give in and all just get along. And to be honest, the side that would “win” here would be the one with the most weapons. And just because you have the power, it doesn’t make you right. History has proven that though many don’t seem to read history any more to stop repeating mistakes.

Some may shake their head, but it seems that liberal theology is here to stay. Pushing the limits of how we treat each other even if it means getting under the skin of those that don’t want to hear our message. And Jesus seems to be right along with us, causing problems, not making life easy.

While it doesn’t exactly fit, while reflecting on this I had the words of Jack Nicholson’s character, Col. Jessup from A Few Good Men running through my head, “You can’t handle the truth.” That, I think, is the root of the dissension. Many people can’t handle the truth. I’m not sure that I can handle the truth, even if I truly knew what it was.

But at the heart of striving for that truth are some fundamental commands. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner, love your neighbor and love your God. As Fr. Malloy mentioned last week, the Emerging Church is made up of those of us that have followed the baby boom generation. I am in that generation labeled Generation X. Though not much younger than Fr. Malloy, I barely get into that generation of those born between 1961 and 1981.

But we also have Generation Y, also called the Millenials, born between the late 70’s and early 2000’s. And then Generation Z or the Internet Generation. Each successive generation has grown up in an ever-expanding world.

Many Baby Boomers were appalled at the Civil Rights Movement. Gen X babies were born during or after that period and had no knowledge of those times and barely remember the race riots of the late 60’s. By the Internet Generation, there are many that are from mixed race families.

These generations have grown up in a more global community thanks to the internet. I was in high school the first time I saw a personal computer, a Wang if you must know, while children are practically born with wireless connections today. This has given them an appreciation of the differences between people and societies. This appreciation has had the effect that they do not see some things that are being argued about by older generations. They see beyond the differences in race, spirituality, sexuality and physical limitations.

But peeling away those old prejudices, they get more at the heart of the Gospel. But fear of those old prejudices is what keeps their parents away from a place like Grace. That’s because we are pyromaniacs along with Jesus, setting the world on fire and destroying the old. And along the way, we’ve ruffled some feathers, started a few arguments amongst family members or just generally made some so angry, that they have walked away.

But friends, we can’t stop. This is just the beginning of the end. An end that may not come today, but then again, it may. So turn up the heat in the work that Jesus has given us to do. If they hate us, love them, for it is fear of that fire that drives them and for that we must have pity. But never should we give up.

Fire serves many positive purposes. We’ve discovered that after forest fires, many sections of the forest have come back healthier. Now there are controlled burns to improve the environment. Burning to bring health. While it seems upside down, we should not be surprised by a God that gave us Jesus.