“The Peace of Jesus Different from the World's”: A Sermon for Central Christian Church of Danbury

Good morning, Central Christian Church of Danbury! It is such an honor and a privilege to be able to share some insights from scripture today. My name is Josue Perea. I am, amongst many things, Associate Pastor of Metro Hope Church, a church some of you may know since the Tickner family also attended Metro.

Rev. Tickner, whom I played basketball with for a little bit before I was cut from the team by my own church (long story), asked some of us to share sermons during his restorative time. It is my pleasure and a blessing for me to be able to share today’s lesson from the Gospels. Today’s reading comes to us from the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 12, verses 49-56. This is the gospel reading for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost in the Revised Common Lectionary. I will be reading from the first egalitarian translation, also known as the Inclusive Bible.

The word of God is read in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Mothering Spirit:

Luke 12:49-56

49 "I've come to light a fire on the earth. How I wish the blaze were ignited already! 50 There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think I'm here to bring peace on earth? I tell you, the opposite is true: I've come to bring division. 52 From now on a household of five will be divided—three against two and two against three, 53 father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

54 Jesus said again to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say that rain is coming—and so it does. 55 When the wind blows from the south, you say it's going to be hot—and so it is. 56 You hypocrites! If you can interpret the portents of earth and sky, why can't you interpret the present time?"

This is the word of the Lord; thanks be to God.

The readings for today give us different texts that we can choose to speak from. At Metro, we also use the Revised Common Lectionary which, in case you do not know, organizes the scriptures for churches to read in a three-year cycle. Today's reading has texts that are easier to preach from. There's the text from Hebrews chapter 11, which some people call the "Hall of Faith"; the Psalm texts would be pretty to preach from; and of course, we can always go with Jeremiah or Isaiah, which are really common and are easier to listen to when they have “tougher” things to say.

But the words in chapter 12 of Luke are really important and impactful at this moment. Luke 12:49-56, which is the scripture reading for today, is difficult to interpret and wrestle with. It is a text where Jesus states that he came to divide and not to unite. It is a difficult text; it is a text that has been weaponized to tell people that any sin they have will be punishable by fire; it is a text that has been used to trivialize the message of Jesus. It is often overlooked, and it is a text that makes people uncomfortable by saying there are divisions that will happen—divisions at the expense of families. The words of the text are difficult to preach from, and this is one that often gets skipped for an easier text that could be more uplifting.

But I think that's a mistake by preachers. I think sometimes when we choose an easier text, we miss the opportunities for things that God is telling us.

If we look closely at the Luke text, it comes after some warnings and encouragements. It comes after a few parables that we know, like the Parable of the Rich Fool, and comes after one of my favorite texts where Jesus reminds his disciples not to worry about things. It makes it easier to skip this scripture in light of another one. But this text is one that should challenge us. On the surface, the lectionary connects this text with the other texts because of the theme of fire.

That’s the main part of the text that people remember: the burning fire. What it says in verse 49: “I've come to light a fire on the earth. How I wish the blaze were ignited already!” That sounds harsh, especially in our Christianity and the way that we interpret messages of fire. We think of fire and brimstone, difficulty, burning impurities to the ground, and judgment. And for some of the texts that mention fire, this would be true.

But the fire that Jesus is talking about is not a fire that punishes people who are wrongdoers, but it is a fire that should spark the change of the world. The fire that Jesus wants kindled is a fire that will bring about change and justice and a new reign, what we call God's Kin-dom.

Theologian Matt Skinner says:

“The fire Jesus wants to kindle is a fire of change, the fire of God’s active presence in the world. No wonder he is so eager to strike the match.”

And this is what this text speaks to me about. This reading of the fire, the division, and the seeming signs of chastisement that Jesus speaks about are really about this desire of Jesus to see his ministry and his disciples carry out this mission with expediency. This fire that Jesus wants to see kindled—that Jesus has been alluding to right before this text—is about bringing forth a change in the status quo, a change in how things are done.

The rest of the verses of this text refer to the fact that Jesus is really desperate to see the work being done so that people are free from injustice as soon as possible. See, Jesus was not someone who wanted to wait for justice to come at a different time; Jesus wanted to ensure that change would come as soon as possible. Jesus wanted to ensure his disciples also understood the urgency to bring forth the Kin-dom.

And this is important because, for Jesus, the ministry that he came to do was to bring about this justice. See, it's not that Jesus didn't want his ministry to start later. Jesus knew that his ministry was to begin now, because that was the moment that his disciples were going to participate in his ministry, the ministry of changing the world.

The reason why it is important to note this is because in order for things to start, in order for change to happen, some things have to go. In order for a seed to grow, there has to be some breaking of the seed. Change can't happen if the same conditions that created imbalances remain. In the wild, when fires happen naturally (not some of these climate change-triggered ones, but real fires), they clear out the things that are preventing new forests from growing. Such it is too in our world: in order for love to be born, in order for fellowship to grow, oppression has to go. Greed has to go. Idolatry has to go. Same with exploitation, dehumanization, narcissism, and any other evils you can name that prevent the flourishing of all people and all creation.

For me, this change is exemplified in the next verses that we read in the text, verse 51:

"Do you think I'm here to bring peace on earth? I tell you, the opposite is true: I've come to bring division."

This is an awkward verse, difficult sometimes for us to grapple with, but the reason why this verse makes sense here, the reason why the writer of the Gospel quotes Jesus here, especially in this context, is because in the context of justice and of peace and of love in a world that is changed, the peace that Christ offers is not the peace of the world, and it may look like division.

See, the world expects a sort of fictitious peace. It is a peace that is not sustainable. But the peace that Jesus offers is a peace that surpasses all understanding, and that may look like it brings division. Swiss reformer Heinrich Bullinger wrote in a commentary on this text: 

“Christ truly is the Prince of Peace, and his kingdom is the kingdom of peace… but it is a peace of consciences that agree with God... and that is a peace that the world cannot give; in fact, it is a peace that the world cannot stand but hates. The peace of the world does not have to do with anything except what pertains to the world.”

The reformer is trying to remind us that this peace that Jesus brings, this desire for peace that Jesus is talking about, is peace to us, to those who want justice, to those who follow Jesus’s call for unity and fellowship and service. But it is not peace to those who oppose justice, to those who oppose equality, to those who want to keep people oppressed. For them, this peace is division.

Bullinger says the world desires a “voluptuous, luxurious peace,” one where we don't call out injustice, where the status quo stays the same… but that is not what the peace of Christ offers. Christ offers a peace that changes everything that it touches, that impacts everything. And so, when Jesus talks about the peace that he brings, that it is not peace but division, he's talking about this kind of peace. He's not bringing the peace that the world expects. And Jesus knows that this kind of peace, which brings equality and fairness and justice to all, may cause division even amongst families.

That's why I think this text is important to read today. With everything that is happening in our world, with all of the difficulties that many different people from our communities and other communities, connected to us by faith or otherwise, are having, it is a time for us to understand the signs of the times, as Jesus says in verse 54.

It is a time for us to be able to know how we can contribute to this peace, how we can make sure this fire is kindled on the earth, and how we can make sure that the Kin-dom is coming. The call of the Gospel is for us to live full lives, to be fully who we need to be, but it is also to live in service of others and thereby serving God.

For me, this makes me think of how I can make sure I bring God’s Kin-dom. How can I make sure I am taking this personally and helping people love themselves, love others, and love God?

Sometimes when someone becomes a Christian, I feel that people give them false advertising. Sometimes people think becoming a Christian means that it is an easy life, that this life would be simple, that there are no problems once you become a Christian, and that everything goes up. And sure, that is sometimes true, but what is also true is that Jesus expected his disciples to be at the vanguard of his Kin-dom. He wanted them to bring about equality and justice, and that makes it a difficult faith—a faith that may often put us at odds with neighbors, friends, and even family.

Namibian theologian Paul John Isaak says in a commentary on this text:

“Jesus' disciples should not expect to live a life of ease while they wait for him. He bluntly states that his mission will bring fire on the earth. It will lead to divisions, even among close relatives. He calls for such a radical change from the status quo that his followers will inevitably be persecuted by those who want to keep things the way they are.”

Jesus wants to change the way things are in the world. This text is a reminder of that, and it is up to us as the followers of Jesus. It is our responsibility to bring about the change Jesus is talking about; it is our responsibility to create something new, to help create a new reality, akin to what Mexican-American theologian Leticia A. Guardiola-Sáenz says: 

“in which what dictates the value of life is not accumulation, but distribution, sharing, generosity, justice, and equity.”

So, siblings of Christ, this scripture that is sometimes avoided is here to remind us that the fire that Jesus wants to bring, and this division that Jesus is talking about, is done in service of the Kin-dom of God. This Kin-dom is one where our shared humanity is what brings about God’s realm.

Let us heed the message of today's scripture: that we should also want to see this fire started, the flame kindled. We should also understand that this period of division, which is happening now, is not a good deal, but it has become necessary for us to receive and see justice in our world.

Let's take this scripture today to be a reminder to us of how to interpret these times, how to make sure that we are active, and how to make sure that we are moving the Kin-dom forward through our service, through our love, and through our commitment to justice. And let us remember that we are the ones who can bring about this change.

Let us pray:

Triune God

you love justice and hate oppression;

you give peace to those who seek it,

and you condemn the rage of violence.

Give us courage to take our stand

with all victims of bloodshed and greed,

and, following your servants and prophets,

look to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Amen.