On Fire

Proper 15 August 18, 2019

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! From now on five in one household will be divided, 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 her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, `It is going to rain'; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, `There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?" Luke 12:49-56

Yesterday, we received some long awaited salvaged items from my Mom's house. What we asked to have did not appear, instead we got mostly frivolous junk. It hurt. How often do we have expectations that get dashed and hopes that get squash? Our response is hurt and anger and we want to lash out, we want to set the world on fire. Yet we are called to a life of forgiveness. Yet we are human and ache to punish the people who hurt us.

Jesus was very direct in this passage from Luke. Living the love of God, is often living outside of the normal, selfish greedy world and being despised for it. Fire is cleansing, and necessary for life. Endings of old chapters are as important as the beginnings. Jesus ached to clean away the rubbish of cruelty and selfishness, the gathering of wealth while others suffered great need. We are invited to ache, not for revenge but for the cleansing fire, that stirs our hearts to new love.

Today, I ask God to help me forgive with the same fury as I move to hurt and anger. May we be on fire with love, renewed and cleansed to be carriers of God loving fire of hope and new life.

Collect

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.