“I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! Luke 12:49-51

This does not sound like the Jesus that we know and love. Where is Jesus, meek and mild? Where is the one who takes little children on his knee and blesses them? Where is Jesus who invites all to come to him are who labour and are heavy laden, so that they may have rest?

May be Jesus is just a bit off colour as he heads up to Jerusalem, the thought of what is coming has made him on edge.

According to the Gospels Jesus already experienced something of division in the family when he first started his ministry. In Luke chapter 8 verse 19 to 21 we see that Jesus seem to be rude to his mother and brothers. Instead of responding in the appropriate manner Jesus merely said “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” Jesus seemed to regard the normal family rules as a potential hindrance to faith. Perhaps Jesus knew that his family had come looking for him because people had claimed he was beside himself, or even possessed by Beelzebub. Was the family honour at stake? Jesus’ desire to be obedient to God the Father far outweighed family loyalty or honour.

But why would Jesus’ message bring division even the sword. The story of the Good Samaritan came in response to the Lawyer’s summary of the Law, love God and your neighbour as your self. Yes but who is my neighbour? We don’t hear the other side of the story. The Samaritan gets home and his father asks about the prophet he made from selling the sheep in Jerusalem. Oh father I met a man who had been robed and left to die. I paid the innkeeper most of the prophet. I have to go back and give him a little more when I take more sheep to market. You what? You spend our hard earned money on some Jew boy, why did you not finish him off where he was.

You can imagine the young man who was listening to Jesus a couple of weeks ago. Father we don’t have to build bigger barns. We should share the entire crop with our neighbours, especially that family of refugees camped down by the river. You can imagine the Father saying, who has been filling your head with such drivel? I worked all my life for a bumper crop like this. Those refugees don’t deserve a thing, they can go home to their own country. The son protests one last time, but Jesus says when ever you care for the stranger in the land you care for the Messiah himself. I’ll hear no more of this Jesus talk. The refugees are not God’s children, certainly not his Messiah.

You can imagine the mother-in-law getting angry when she hears her daughter in law has three sponsor children with world vision. “I don’t care about heavenly purses, my grandchildren need a good education if they are to get on” Mum, says the daughter-in-law, “the children in Pakistan and Mozambique need a good education too, and they don’t even have enough to eat”. “But you don’t have to have three sponsor children”. “No you are right, may be I should have half a dozen.”

So just looking back at the readings we have had recently in Luke’s Gospel we realize that if we were fairdinkum in following Jesus there would be some heated arguments in our families. Jesus wants us to care for people we don’t know as if they were a brother or sister. He wants us to go beyond our personal safety for total strangers. He wants us to treat our property with ridiculous generosity. Coming up in Luke 18 we see Jesus’ advice the rich ruler to sell everything and give to the poor then come and follow him. Jesus has a shocking disregard for material wealth, for positions of power and even for family and cultural norms.

How does Jesus expect us to live in the 21st century? Sit so lightly with your possessions so they do not posses you. Give to things like, World Vision, the Red Cross, or the heart foundation with extravagant generosity. Give generously to the Church, not limiting yourself to 10%, so the treasurer does not have to come cap in hand when there is a special project on. Seek ways to assist those who live on the streets and others who struggle to survive in our society. If necessary challenge the government of the day to make changes that will lift people up rather than push them down. Jesus calls us to see himself in all refugees and to provide genuine care.

Jesus calls us to think twice or three times before we buy anything. Have the mantra “do I really need it” playing in your mind when you go shopping. Jesus would ask you about the source of the product you buy. Has it been fairly traded? Could you source it more locally doing less damage to the earth? Would you be better to buy all the ingredients and invite your children to help you in the kitchen preparing the food? Jesus would ask us about the use of our cars and air conditioners. Could you not walk just as easily or catch public transport or share with someone else? Why don’t you put on a jumper rather than turn on the heater? Jesus requires of us that we care for other people and for our heavenly Father’s creation.

We will find that it is not just with others but equally with our selves that we will argue. Part of us will want to say yes to Jesus. But another part of us will argue vehemently out of fear, or just laziness.

Jesus said “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!
Luke 12:49-51

Yes, may be Jesus was stressed as said those words. But as we have seen his whole ministry is controversial. Jesus invites us to join him on this controversial mission. It is costly. We will have passionate arguments, with father, mother, mother-in-law and with our brothers and sisters here. Indeed we will wrestle within ourselves over many things. Do we dare to follow Jesus?

It is probably a good thing this reading wasn’t set for Back to Church Sunday!

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, we prefer you to be nice, forgive us for forcing your gospel into something that suits us. Lord Jesus, help us to hear your message and not to be frightened to discuss it passionately with each other. Help us to truly follow you. Amen.