Let me ask you to do something; I know, we all hate it when the priest or deacon asks for participation but humor me and close your eyes. Now, I want for you to picture Jesus. Conjure up the first image that comes to mind. Can you see Him?
Now open your eyes. Did you see Him? How many saw Him on the cross? His face beaten and bruised, arms stretched out and held down with nails, His side pierced, and brow bloodied. The image of God’s perfect sacrifice.
How many saw Him as a little baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger on Christmas morning. Held in the arms of His loving mother, the perfect image of peace, hope and promise.
So, now, if we could gat all of the people that saw the first image to get up and go to this side of the church and all those that saw the baby Jesus to go to this side of the church … just kidding. No one has to get up and move but isn’t it interesting that these are the two images that come to mind og Jesus. We focus on the beginning and the end and tend to leave out so much that comes in between. For 20 something years he lived a life pretty much like you and me and we forget that. He had friends, played games, went to school, had a job and we forget that. During his three years of ministry, he walked almost everywhere, he had favorite hikes, favorite campsites, favorite places to eat, and favorite places to sit and pray and we forget all of that.
What we seem to forget the most is that He came to earth for a purpose. Remember that God So loves us that He sent His only begotten Son to save the world. He came to shake things up, to turn things upside down, to cause a ruckus. “I have come to set the earth on fire, … Do you think that I have come to establish peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division”.
How many of us, when we closed our eyes, saw this image of Jesus? How many saw the image of Jesus running through the temple turning over the vendors tables, or the Jesus that was yelling at Peter calling him Satan, or the images of Jesus calling others hypocrites or fools or blind guides.
My guess is that many of us were surprised by the words in today’s gospel. Where was the “turn the other” Jesus? Where was the “love your neighbor” Jesus? This was the “set the earth on fire” Jesus, the “how I wish it were already blazing” Jesus. Fire is scary, it is violent and difficult to control.
When I was in middle school, we lived in a house that basically had a forest for back yard. There was 10 or 15 feet of well-manicured lawn but after that there was a jungle. One summed, my friends and I built an elaborate tent out of bed sheets. I’m talking huge. This thing had rooms and rooms withing rooms. One afternoon I was out there by myself “doin’ nothin’ ” when I got the idea that the tent needed a fire place. So I added some sticks and some sheets and made one. Of course, I had to try it out, and learned that bed sheets and fire do not mix very well. Things quickly got out of hand, and it was not very long before I hard my dad from the house, “Edwin, wha’chu dowin’?” To which io ran to the edge of the woods and calmly said, “nothin’ “
Needless to say, a tent fire in the back yard is difficult to keep quiet for long. No worries, the garden hose came to the rescue, dad put out the fire, I was grounded for life, and I learned a valuable lesson. Don’t start a fire unless you are willing to deal with the consequences.
Jesus appears to be aware of the consequences of His fire.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
This image of Jesus coming to set the world on fire is one that we might not often think of but it is real. And just as real are the consequences that this fire is meant to bring about. It is meant to bring about drastic change but let’s not forget that it is intended for the ultimate good. The ponderosa pine can not grow and propagate without a forest fire. Fire brings warmth, and light and how lame would a camping trip be without the camp fire. Imaging sitting around a dark circle singing songs to a cold guitar.
Our image of Jesus should be of the infant born into this world as a beacon of hope to show us the way to salvation and God’s kingdom. And, the image has to be of our savior that was put to death to forgive us our sins. And somewhere in between we cannot forget the image of our lord that came to set the world and our hearts on fire with determination, conviction and passion.
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.
LK 12:49 – 53
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
August 14, 2022
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