Sunday 17th August Luke 12:49-53

FIRE ON THE EARTH

           Today’s Gospel presents a challenge to the way we often think about Jesus. We are accustomed to knowing Him as a bringer of peace – a gentle teacher, a compassionate healer. But today, we hear of a side of Jesus that’s a little more difficult to grasp: Jesus is divisive. He comes to bring division, not peace. Jesus is not saying that His mission is to create conflict for its own sake. He is acknowledging a difficult truth: when you follow Him, it can lead to division. Why? Because His message demands a radical reordering of our priorities.

When we follow Jesus, we are called to live differently – to love our enemies, to forgive those who hurt us, to care for the poor and oppressed, and to seek justice. This message isn’t always welcomed by the world. In fact, in some situations, living out Jesus’ values can make us stand out in uncomfortable ways. Jesus is clear: following Him is not easy. It’s not just about feeling good on Sunday mornings or agreeing with His teachings in theory. It’s about living His teachings every single day, even when it’s hard. And this can lead to difficult choices, tensions, and divisions.

In today’s world, we can face this kind of division when we choose to follow Jesus. When we choose integrity over dishonesty, love over hatred, humility over pride and service over selfishness, we often find ourselves going against the grain of society. It’s not always easy to do the right thing, and sometimes it means standing alone.

Think about the social issues we face today – whether it’s poverty, injustice, or the care for the environment. As Christians, we are called to speak out and act in a way that may not always be comfortable or popular.                                     

Jesus’ values challenge the world’s values, and following Him often means taking a stand for what is right – even if that means facing opposition or division. Following Jesus might not always make us popular. It might make us stand out in ways that are uncomfortable. His call is not to an easy life, but to a life of transformation. And that transformation can be beautiful, even if it’s divisive.                                                                                                                                      

So, let us embrace the division that comes with following Jesus, knowing that it’s part of His call to transform the world, and us, into something more beautiful, more just, and more loving.