August 29, 2004 Luke 12:49-53
“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 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.”
When a young man enters the Army he is basically trained to do one main thing - follow orders. If he is told to destroy and kill stuff - that’s what he does. A soldier’s main duty is not to think about the why - but to only to follow orders and stay focused on the mission.
Like soldiers - God wants us to have a mission in life. If I were to ask you - what is your “mission” in life - I suppose a few of you would give very simple answers like - to survive - to get by - to take life day by day. Maybe some of you would be a little more specific like - to get married - buy a house - or retire by the time I’m 63. Other optimists have loftier missions such as world peace or to end hunger or war or poverty. A more spiritual answer might be to get to heaven, to spread the gospel, or to grow in faith.
But what if someone told you, “my mission in life to make people angry at each other.” Such words would be expected out of a crazed maniac or an evil mind. Ironically, however, they come from the Prince of Peace - who at His birth was declared by angels to bring “peace on earth.” What did Jesus mean with these words - tell us that He didn’t come to bring peace, but division. Today we’ll examine these strange words from the Prince of Peace and look at -
The Mission of Division
I. Is needed in a “peaceful” world
God’s Word has statements that at first glance seem to completely contradict one another. At one point Paul says to “rejoice in the Lord always.” (Philippians 4:4) Yet in Matthew 5:4 Jesus says, “blessed are those who mourn.” Any reasonable person reading such passages would say to themselves, “this God of yours doesn’t make sense. First he tells me to mourn, then He tells me to rejoice! What does your he want me to do?” The answer to the question is rather simple - revolving around one main thing - circumstance. In other words - it depends on what is happening in the person’s life as to what they should do. If you went to a funeral and broke out in a belly laugh people would obviously think you were a little crazy. In the same way, Paul and Jesus are addressing different people or different times. The same thing goes here with what Jesus says.
Jesus is primarily the Prince of Peace - his main mission was to bring peace. But that doesn’t mean that Jesus was always a “peaceable” person - as our world understands “peaceable.” On His carefully chronicled way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51 – 19:44), our Lord Jesus was beset by accusations from His fellow Jews that He was driving out demons with the help of Beelzebub, “the prince of demons” (11:15). These were fighting words - words of unbelief and words of rejection. Instead of just returning their insults with a smile, Jesus soundly answered them with some of His most intense preaching of the law in Six Woes (11:37-54) against the Pharisees and the experts in the law who dared to side against the Truth. As a result of this Luke says that, “When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say.” (Lk 11:53-54)
This seemed to be a time where all of the Jews were “united” under the same “religion” - which seemed to involve performing their sacrifices and hoping for some sort of a Messiah to come. Within this religion they seemed to at least worship together in the temple - even though they disagreed over a resurrection and how strictly to obey the Law. The sad thing was that a majority of the Jews’ religion had turned into a mindless sacrificial system with no hope of the Biblical Messiah whatsoever. With this religions scene, Jesus came and said, I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! . . . Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. Jesus seemed to be tired of this “peace”, and was ready to bring some division to His family of Jews - and also to the world. He couldn’t allow them to remain at peace with their religion. Like with the money changers’ table, the whole seemingly peaceable religious system of the Jews was about to be turned on it’s edge.
We live in an age of what one might call peaceable correctness. It’s as if our tongues have been put on leashes and if we say one wrong thing - the world is ready to brand us as the worst warmongers in the world. When Bill Cosby dared to question the way black parents are bringing their children up, some of the “leaders” of the African Americans were outraged at his statements. The main reason he was able “get away” with it is because he himself is black. That’s the world we live in - where we are silently told that the only thing to do is to “agree to disagree.” This is also true in today’s religion. As time goes on I can sense more and more pressure not to say anything against what a Baptist or a Catholic or a liberal Lutheran might teach. The minute I mention any wrong doctrine people’s ears get red and say, “what - you’re saying that the WELS are the only ones going to heaven! So you’re saying that they’re going to hell!” It almost feels as if the gravest sin to commit is to point out false doctrine - or to discourage certain fellowship - because we live in an age of ACCEPTANCE. You might compare it to when someone comes in the room with their fly open. Everyone knows it’s open, but everyone is to afraid to say anything at the risk of embarrassing the person. The difference is that today people think it’s fashionable to walk around that way - and dare anyone to say anything about it - as if there’s nothing wrong with it. Some people - maybe even many people - would believe it is inappropriate - but nobody says anything out of fear that they’ll start a war or be labeled as some sort of a phobe - homophobe - adulteryphobe - or a fuddy duddy of some sort. So we try to live in “peace” with each other by ignoring or even “celebrating our differences.”
II. Would start with Jesus’ baptism
Instead celebrating their differences, Jesus looked forward to beginning a fire. So how would Jesus begin this “fire” and “division”? It wasn’t with a bomb, a terrorist strike, or the death of three thousand people in a building. Instead Jesus said, But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! It’s rather ironic, isn’t it? Jesus talked about starting a fire with baptism. Baptism - except for the Baptism of Pentecost - is usually used with water - not with fire. So to start a fire with baptism seems rather strange. But we see that the baptism Jesus was talking about was not a water Baptism - but a baptism of death. In order to start this war - God declared war on Himself. The most monumental thing that could happen - to cause fire and division in the world - started with a fire and division within God Himself. God turned against God. God - the eternally united Trinity - SPLIT - when the Father declared war on His only Son. What a monumental thing this was! The earth shook! Rocks split in two. Dead people raised from the grave! The curtain temple tore in two. On the cross Jesus declared, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” Jesus went through hell - having been separated - divided from His Father.
What does this division have to do with a world war? How does it involve us? Paul tells us how in Romans 6 when he asks - don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Ro 6:3-4) Paul says that when Jesus went through that division with His Father on the cross - it was more than just a family feud. God loved His Son. He was well pleased with Jesus. This division had nothing to do with the relationship between the Father and the Son. It had everything to do with the Father and His sons and daughters - you and I. God’s Word declares that Jesus didn’t go on that cross for His own sins - but for the sins of the world. Jesus said - “how distressed I am until it is completed!” It seems somewhat strange that whereas we take such comfort in our baptism, Jesus was distressed over His. Why? At our baptism we receive all of Jesus’ righteousness and holiness - at His “baptism” on the cross - He was flooded with our sins and God’s wrath. But He knew that the only way He could achieve true peace in this world was if He died for it - was baptized in hell for it. Another interesting point is that Jesus said He would be distressed until His baptism was “completed.” That is the same word that Jesus used on the cross when He said, “it is finished.”
With those words, “it is finished,” Jesus started the fire. It’s a fire that still burns brightly today - starts wars - and causes households to divide - over those simple words - “it is finished.” For with those words, Jesus was declaring that the work of salvation was done - completed - finished - in HIM. The writer to the Hebrews also declared - as does the rest of Scripture that - by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. These words mean a lot - they mean that Jesus did everything to make the world holy, and if Jesus did everything, that means that nothing is left for you to do. It means that salvation begins and ends with Christ - through faith in Him. It strips man of any power - any strength - and worst of all - any credit for their salvation. That’s why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life - no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
III. Continues in the family
When this is your world view - it really makes it difficult to live peaceably with those who want to live their lives in the dark. How did Jesus say it in another place? Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (Jn 3:20) There are many people in this world who like nothing better than for Christians just to leave them alone. “I believe in God” they will say - let’s just leave it at that. Or they say, “I live a good life, what’s wrong and I.” But you and I realize Christianity isn’t just a matter of believing in God or trying to live a good life. That will not get anyone into heaven. It’s a matter of believing in God dying on the cross and rising from the dead - leaving the sins of the world in the grave. Christianity isn’t just a theology - it’s a way of life. It’s a matter of heaven and hell. It’s a matter of real sin and total grace. It’s something we have to talk about. But when we talk about it, it causes divisions.
There is a good motive in this kind of thing. It isn’t that we’re looking for fights. Yet there comes a time in life when you have to ask yourself, “what is more important - my principles and the salvation of a soul - or the temporary peace of a relationship?” I would imagine that situations come about like this every day in your own house. When you have a good friend who doesn’t believe in Jesus, you could just continue to enjoy your friendship and never mention Christ, or you could risk your friendship and talk about the fact that he’s a sinner on the way to hell - who needs a Savior. When your wife comes home and starts badmouthing her co-worker - you could tell her that slander is evil and risk a fight, or just smile and leave your mouth shut. If your child is not eating his meal like he should, and is being smart mouthed to top it off - you have a choice. Either you can correct that behavior and be ready for a “fight”, or you can just let it slide and avoid the conflict. You might be able to avoid it for a while - but sooner or later - if sin goes unchecked - it will just grow worse. Sooner or later, like it or not, a war will have to occur. It’s either that, or you end up going through life kind of like a neutered dog - you don’t have any passion for anything. You get so accustomed to allowing things to go on that you accept it with a dull resignation - you opt for leaving your head in the sand rather than to start a fire.
Do you remember the story of Eli? Here was a guy who was blessed with two sons - Hophni and Phinehas - whom he was supposed to train into the priesthood. Yet Eli’s sons were evil - sleeping with women who were supposed to be serving at God’s temple - and taking some of the meat that was supposed to be offered to God. Most kids go through some bad streaks at some time in their lives. But instead of earnestly going after them and addressing their sins, Eli was too afraid to really confront his sons. So what did God say to Eli? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’ (1 Sa 2:29) When you are so concerned about peace in the family that you don’t want to “offend” anyone by trying to correct their behavior or their beliefs - you end up dishonoring your God. So Eli’s sons ended up being put to death in battle - most likely under God’s eternal judgment. God wouldn’t allow that kind of peace. In today’s text Jesus was saying, “I didn’t come to bring that kind of a neutered peace. I came to bring fire and division!”
Jesus understood this family division firsthand. Later on in His ministry, His own family heard about what He was doing and saying and “went to take charge of him,” concluding, “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21). He later left his mother and brothers standing outside and said, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35). Yet Jesus had to “risk” His relationship with His own family - in order to spread the truth of salvation. His own brother - James - was not thought to have been converted until after Jesus’ resurrection if I remember correctly. Jesus understood what it was like to risk his family to spread the Gospel of salvation. As always, our Lord never asks us to endure what He has not already suffered Himself. His faithfulness for us motivates and empowers us to faithfully follow Him to brighter days. God willing, we will keep that fire burning when and where it must.
People in ranch country have been taught from an early age the only way to escape from a range fire is to start a backfire. Burn a place out in the grass where you can safely stand as the range fire passes you by. On Judgment Day, when this world will be destroyed by fire, God has provided us a place where we can safely stand, a place where he has already poured out His white-hot anger over our sin, and that place is the cross of Jesus our Savior. Our Savior has already paid the punishment we deserve. Jesus Christ is our backfire. We stand in safety as the fire of God’s wrath passes us by. When Jesus comes again on the last day, for us who have been given the gift of faith, it won’t be as our Judge to destroy us but rather as our Savior, to welcome us into heaven.
Fire is a dangerous thing. It’s not something to play with. God’s law and gospel is like fire - it burns some - and keeps others warm. It is looked at as a danger to some, and a light to others. Spreading the Gospel of Jesus is a risky thing - it causes divisions in families. In the greatest sacrifice of all, Jesus didn’t just risk his relationship with His Father, He gave His life to bring us into a peaceful relationship with Him. This is the light that fires up our souls with life. It was worth the risk to Him - to restore us to a true and living relationship with Him. The Mission of Division - it’s about risk - to take the unbelieving world into a much deeper relationship - with God through Christ. Are you focused and ready to take that risk? Amen.
