August 18, 2013
Refine or Destroy
A bank robber in Virginia Beach got a nasty surprise when a dye pack designed to mark stolen money exploded in his Fruit-of-the-Looms. The robber apparently stuffed the loot down the front of his pants as he was running out the door. “He was seen hopping and jumping around,” said police spokesman Mike Carey, “with an explosion taking place inside his pants.” Police have the man’s charred trousers in custody.
Police in Los Angeles had good fortune with a robbery suspect who just couldn’t control himself during a lineup. When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words, “Give me all your money or I’ll shoot,” the man shouted, “That’s not what I said!”
Wow, do we have another surprise in our focus scripture of Luke 12:49 through 56. The words of Yeshua are shocking at best. He said, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” Where is the unity, love and grace we know is associated with the Master? Are these words associated with the timing of events anticipated in His ministry, such as His crucifixion?
Every Christian who truly relies on God has come to know the importance of peace from the assurance of the Word. Still, these words from the 12th chapter, 51st verse has had so many scholars question why they are recorded and whether they should be taken literally or metaphorically.
The same story appears in Matthew, yet the context feels much different here. He, Matthew, seems to be teaching the disciples in words to promote battle cries, such as “sword” and “enemies” that appear more militaristic. In Luke the mood is much milder and with a definite meaning of division or disunity (in Greek the word is: dee-am-er-is-mos') over that of war. Some might have an opinion that differences between Luke and Matthew appear as contradictions. The fact that reporters of the same event have a slightly different view only refines and adds information rather than confuses. Multiple witnesses, even with skewed perspectives, provide additional views.
Still, the apparent change in attitude by Yeshua can be disturbing to some who focus on the peace and love of the Master. Others who have desired a military leader to force the world to see the Gospel their way might find this perceived change delightful, thinking other Christians with a different view will be destroyed or even killed. Is the Savior intending to drive a wedge between followers with different Christian views?
Perhaps some would question whether this Jesus is the savior of Zechariah’s prophecy. He wrote in his first chapter, 79th verse that his view of the savior would be one who “would guide our feet into the way of peace.”
We in modern society know without question that division equals defeat in most situations. And we know now that within a very short time following the physical departure of Messiah, division erupted on a grand scale. Man set about to organize religion with the result being the Catholic Church. On an opposite side were the Gnostics, who taught Christ much like the organized Church but with less organization. Gnostic writings were banned and their leader was murdered in an effort to stamp out anything different than a highly-organized church. Is this the division Yeshua was talking about? If so, why is He quoted as saying, “I wish it (the fire of division) were already kindled!?”
Another possibility and theory by some theologians is that Messiah is beginning to stress over his coming death, and that he was using hyperbole to describe that death by using the word “baptism”. The Greek term for “stress” used in this passage is syn-echo that means “distressed” but also “holding together” or “holding tightly” to the point of squeezing. Here in Luke, the meaning even goes to sickness such as “holding on to a fever.” And in other places in Luke, the same syn-echo is used to indicate holding on to fear or an issue that is “pressing in”. What is unique about this story in Luke is the description of how Jesus is feeling. So Luke is taking a much more personal approach than Matthew.
All that and we still don’t see the need for the shocking words that are largely ignored by our Christian Community of today. The operative word in understanding this passage is “today”. Not only was Messiah interested in how we live our lives now, but in those in the world around Him at the time. Much too often we judge words in the Scriptures by today’s perspective and fail to comprehend society of the time for context. One major clue that people around him misunderstood is found in the 56th verse where He is quoted asking the question, “How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?” Messiah even called the crowd “Hypocrites!” The reason for this outburst was that He knew they could predict weather-related events by watching the sky and feeling the wind blow, but they failed to recognize Him after He and His ministry were foretold in the Torah. Had He not been performing miracles before their eyes and shared heavenly wisdom long enough for them to have a clue? The crowd was made up of people who had knowledge of Scripture and even witnessed for Him. Some were members of His “advance” team as He made trips into Jerusalem and other places to teach and share the Good News of the Father.
The Master did expect the learned in this crowd to anticipate His coming pain and grief, and He also knew that when you bring change into hearts as well as society, the transition can be disruptive internally and among the people. This division would be deep and painful. Families would disagree. Yeshua said, “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” To put it mildly, chaos would come to not only nations, but to the most intimate relationships. Yet the question must be asked; should the Gospel not be preached just to keep peace? Do we risk our souls for the sake of pleasantness? And, does being pleasant or avoiding conflict mean no war, buy whatever scale you can think of? If the Christ never came, can you say there would be peace on earth?
War has been blamed on religion for centuries. Terrorism, the new kind of war, is because of differences in religious belief, is it not? It's no secret that the world of Islam wants their “law” imposed on the world. U.S. Law has its foundations in the Ten Commandments and Judea-Christian teaching, and Islamic Law is based on teaching of Mohammad and their Holy Book, the Quran. Both Christianity and Islam attempt to embed a concept of justice in believer’s and instill law that governs human affairs, but Christianity lets the government be the government while Sharia Law wants to be the government as well as religion. Sharia calls for prescribed punishments to be carried out and Christianity teaches a method of forgiveness and change through understanding and adhering to a learned code of conduct through brotherhood and support. Both religions believe the ultimate punishment for disobeying law will be God's on the Day of Judgment. Can you see a difference motivation? Christianity leads through reward and Islam through fear. If you doubt this, ask; who is terrorizing who?
Messiah's words that he came to bring division are not just for religion. Recently I have had the duty to interview prospective employees. Governmental Regulation has been applied to the interview process, so I refrain from asking about religion, yet it is more important to know a person's soul, or what causes them to be who they are. So, I ask, “What is your code of conduct.” To my dismay, the younger generation don't know the answer and have never thought about it. There are stares into space but never eye-to-eye contact after that question. Comments on integrity, loyalty, patience, kindness and other prized qualities are welcomed, yet not once has a prospective employee mentioned those things. If the answer is,The Word of God,” then the positive qualities that make a great person are understood. Here is another dividing point—those with a Code of Conduct and those without. Christ brought a refined message of truth that leads to love. Division comes when those who want to do only what they want, without regard to truth or love, meets an evil standard, which in itself, is a code of conduct.
If you are a parent, you know what happens when your child clearly wants something not good for them, or decides to do something you told them not to do. The result is a division or conflict of will and the struggle begins. If you, parent, win the battle then the child who lacks a code of conduct learns that your will, backed by your understanding of a code of conduct, prevails and the reward is unity with the parent. If the child wins and they get to do what they want, then your correction means nothing and evil wins. The Master brought refined instruction thoroughly wrapped in truth. His truth results in unity with God and each other. When we, adults, act like lawless children and rebel, the Greek dee-am-er-is-mos' or disunion happens again.
Then there is the issue of good and evil. This age-old conflict has plagued humanity since the Garden of Eden. Is there any question that those who intend to live in evil will unite against good? In evil doing, the cliché “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” applies. We have seen through history that when evil destroys good, evil turns on evil until there is nothing left. The ancient Hebrews understood the nature of evil with the use of the word rah, which in English means, adversity, affliction, calamity, displease, distress, grief, hurt, ill-favored, mischief, misery, sorrow, trouble, wicked and wretchedness, among other bad things. “Nothingness” is the result of evil when the grip of destruction has it's hold on us. When the light of truth from the Christ shines on evil, evil hides for fear of exposure, because who in their right mind would want rah with the result being nothingness? When the battle between good and evil rages, can there be peace on earth? When evil goes against evil, is their peace? So, how does peace come to us? Only through truth and love. Only when we can come together under the banner of the One who brings that truth, and who was the very personification of truth, the one we know as Jesus the Christ.
John 10: 6 through 15 contains another “I have come...,”statement by Yeshua but this one is different than Luke 12. From the Phillips translation we read, “Jesus gave them this illustration but they did not grasp the point of what he was saying to them. So Jesus said to them once more, “I do assure you that I myself am the door for the sheep. All who have gone before me are like thieves and rogues, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If a man goes in through me, he will be safe and sound; he can come in and out and find his food. The thief comes with the sole intention of stealing and killing and destroying, but I came to bring them life, and far more life than before. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd will give his life for the sake of his sheep. But the hired man, who is not the shepherd, and does not own the sheep, will see the wolf coming, desert the sheep and run away. And the wolf will attack the flock and send them flying. The hired man runs away because he is only a hired man and has no interest in the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know those that are mine and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I am giving my life for the sake of the sheep.”
Peace then is found in being in the “flock” with the Son of God as the shepherd. This shepherd has His life invested in the flock, and is not there for personal gain like the hired hand. We know that evil cannot scatter this “flock” or followers of the One Lord. What is that door He talks about? It's the door of truth, which is the only way to God, or love.
So, we have the Master saying in Luke that he came to “bring fire on the earth” and in John, he came to “bring life and far more life than before.” Is this contradiction? Not at all. When we break away from evil, rah, and all it means, the process of separation from evil is the eternal battle man has and always will face until there is not one human left for evil to inflict.
God has given us promises or expectations that He always fulfills. Yes, there is more life than we could expect. However, evil will destroy all the loot you have in your pants. The lie from evil is that nothingness is fun and that having your own way, or living by your own code of conduct is only your business and does not apply to anyone else. Even if you are in the evil “camp,” you know that lie is just that, a lie.
What is your investment in your life? Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, your investment is indeed, your life! Can you somehow change the history of evil into something good for you? Can you convince the forces of evil to change to goodness for just you? How deeply is the battle raging in your life? Are you fighting a battle that has already been won by Messiah? Could it be that evil is happy to keep you fighting for nothingness?
Like the robber who forgot to keep his mouth shut, blurting out, “That's not what I said,” we can identify evil because we have truth and love for comparison.
The Master said that He “had a baptism to undergo” and that He was under constraint until it was completed.” His “baptism” this time was not by John the Baptist, but by the cross of sacrifice. And, even this “baptism” brought division, a division of good and evil, prosperity and destruction. Only God can bring peace out of division and joy out of pain. Is this not what we want from life?
Evil will always try, and the forces that march to the evil drumbeat will keep marching, but stepping to that beat or not is still our choice.
Joshua 24:15 puts it this way, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
The price for serving God may not be cheap, yet serving evil will cost you everything good. How difficult is the decision?
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.
©2013, J.Tilton
