Discerning The Times

Discerning the Times

Luke 12:49-56

The Revised Common Lectionary sometimes has a very awkward passage selection. In this case, the passage begins in the middle of a discourse by Jesus. If one has not read the previous portion of the discourse, one might not understand this passage as one ought. Since this passage deals with the importance of spiritual discernment, it is important that we be properly informed. The lectionary passage from the previous week ends with Luke 12:40: “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Beginning with Luke 12:41, Jesus elaborates further. Jesus answers Peter that the parable he had just spoken was for them and not all people directly. He desires that they be wise and faithful stewards who will teach others in the LORD’s house to properly discern the truth of the Gospel. Jesus warns all who have been given authority in His house as stewards to be gainfully employed and watchful. Jesus is going to return and expects everything to be in order. the stewards who are drunken and mistreat His lesser servants will be severely punished when He returns. The return of Christ is central to the understanding of what Jesus is saying here. It is at this time that the faithful stewards will be rewarded and the faithless punished. Those who have been entrusted much shall suffer the greater punishment.

This morning’s text begins with the warning that Jesus had come to bring fire upon the earth. And Jesus declares that He wishes it were already kindled. This is a shocking statement considering that preaching emphasizes the love and long-suffering. But the Greek is very strong here and cannot be softened. Fire is often used in Scripture to denote God’s judgment. Jesus is more than ready to execute final judgment. We do proclaim that Jesus will being all things into judgment at the Last Day. But Jesus places this judgment at least in part to His own life on earth. It would be a mistake to not discern the ongoing judgment of Jesus Christ.

Jesus continues to shock us in this passage by referring to a baptism He needed to be baptized with. We know that Jesus had been baptized by John the Baptist at the beginning of His ministry, so this reference to baptism must mean something else. John also mentioned that Jesus would baptize with fire. We think of this as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I think this is a true statement as far as it goes. If one looks at preaching in the Apostolic age, the message is “Repent or else!” As Paul says in Acts 17:30 to the Greeks on Mars Hill in Athens, God had winked at their ignorance. They were now being told the truth, and they needed to immediately repent, or else. Paul told them that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead made the last judgment certain. It is this Jesus who will judge all.

But here, Jesus seems to be talking about a third baptism. He was already filled with and led by the Holy Spirit. So this baptism refers to something else. The context indicates this baptism to be His suffering and dying on the cross. Jesus had endured much weariness in His earthly ministry. He knew what lay ahead for Him which was to be rejected by the chief priests and elders followed by death from crucifixion. As hard as earthly life might be, virtually all of us would like to procrastinate crucifixion. But Jesus seemed eager to embrace it. This sacrifice was to save those who believed and would believe on Him. For these, He was eager to go to the cross to free them from the bondage to sin and death. But there is another side. No one would any longer be able to make excuse. Those would have to embrace the fullness of eternal judgment. There is grace to the believer, but the promise of wrath to those who do not believe.

This very hard passage gets even harder when Jesus now says that He had not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword. We think of the heavenly host at Jesus’ birth singing “Peace on Earth!” Does not Isaiah 9:7 call Jesus the “Prince of Peace.” What’s with the violence here? Perhaps we need to finish the heavenly host's message. In the King James Version, we read “Good will to men.” This seems to be a universal declaration of good will to all. However, we must first realize that the word “hosts” properly means “armies”. The second is that the statement is better rendered “upon those whom His favor rests.” The offer might be of peace being made available to all, but it is only effective upon those who would come to believe. The promise of peace is universal, but also conditional as well.