Interpreting the Signs
Reflections on Luke 12.49-56
RCL Proper 20C
14 August 2016
Saint Faith’s Anglican Church
12.49
[Jesus said to his disciples,] “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I
wish it were already kindled! 50
I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it
is completed! 51 Do you think
that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather
division! 52 From now on five
in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53
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.”
54
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. 55 And when you see the south wind
blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. 56 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?”
These
past three Sundays we have been joining those who had been following this rabbi
from Nazareth who had recently taken his place on the stage of religious life
in first-century Roman Palestine. As
Jesus begins to turn his way towards Jerusalem and the events that will give
rise to the Christian faith we share, he is surrounded by his apostles and
disciples, by wealthy farmers and merchants, the desperate poor and by
representatives of the religious establishment of his times. Sometimes he speaks to all those who are
gathered around him, sometimes only to his apostles and disciples. But at all times and in all places Jesus
shares a common message: ‘The kingdom of
God is among you now and will come in its fullness at a time of God’s
choosing. So, live a life worthy of the
kingdom now. Live a life preparing for
the kingdom that is coming.’
Two
Sundays ago Jesus told the parable of the rich farmer who had forgotten that
his wealth was a gift from God meant to be sowed wisely and generously rather
than hoarded. Last Sunday in a series of
sayings, Jesus asked us to discover where our treasure was, for there we would
find our hearts. Finding our hearts gives
a starting place to choose our priorities as we live in and into the kingdom of
God.
This
Sunday we could be excused if we heard Jesus’ words as what some scholars have
called ‘texts of terror’. What are we to
make of our gentle Jesus proclaiming that he has come with a sword that will
divide families and friends? What are we
to make of our brother Jesus telling us that we are world-wise but
kingdom-blind? Let me share with you my
attempt to understand today’s gospel in the light of the last two Sundays.
My
high school offered what, in the United States, are called ‘advanced placement’
courses. Students who completed an
advanced placement course with a grade of ‘B’ or higher were given university
credit that they could apply to their undergraduate students. I arrived at the doors of the University of
Denver in the fall of 1971 with several advanced placement credits in my
portfolio. To my surprise the University
required me to take a introductory political science course despite my advanced
placement history credit. I was a bit
miffed but complied.
To
this day I remember the first sentence on the first page of the introduction of
the first book we were assigned to read:
“Where there are two, there are politics.” My professor, whose name I cannot remember,
led us through on a wonderful journey through the world of politics. From that journey I have taken away a respect
for the importance of politics, even as I, and I am sure you, have our moments
of disappointment with our political leadership.
There
are many ways to look at politics, but let me offer you my take on the shapes
that politics can take. One way is one
with which we are very familiar: the
pursuit of self-interest. People seek
political authority merely to gain the power to indulge their own
interests. Sometimes, these folk will
learn a second way: enlightened self-interest. They learn the art of giving a little to please
the many, even as they continue to make sure that their own interests are
well-served.
If
we are fortunate, then we are blessed with leaders who are committed more to
the common good than they are to either self-interest or enlightened
self-interest. These are the people who
cross party lines and choose the good of the many over the interests of
party. Such leaders are few and often
face opposition from within their own circle of advisors, supporters and
partisans. Rarely, very rarely, a unique
leader emerges: one who inspires us to
work for the kingdom of God in our own times and places.
No
matter where we are, no matter among whom we are, we live a political
life. Political life requires the
sharing of ideas and visions publicly in order to determine which path we are
going to take, a path shaped by self-interest, whether unenlightened or
enlightened, or a path shaped by the common good that may, just may, lead us
closer to the kingdom of God.
In
today’s gospel Jesus is simply telling us what we already know. If we have chosen to be his disciples, we are
immediately faced with trying to discern whether we are following a path of
self-interest or a path leading to the kingdom of God. Discernment sometimes leads to the passionate
exchange of views, exchanges which may cause ruptures in our relationships. Discernment is not always a quiet, contemplative
process; it often involves speaking the truth in love and risking
misunderstanding.
Whether
we look at the life of our national church, our diocese or our own
congregation, we are engaged in a process of discernment about how we will live
out our baptismal covenant. We have
heard Jesus tell us that discipleship means being willing to sow wisely and
generously the resources we have received from God’s hands and the hands of
other disciples. We have heard Jesus
tell us that discipleship means being clear about what our priorities are as we
sow these resources in the hopes of reaping the kingdom.
And
today, Jesus reminds us that the life of discipleship is political, not in the
sense of partisanship but in the spirit of seeking first the kingdom of God. There will be times when we find ourselves
with different views on how we exercise the stewardship of our resources in
fulfillment of our priorities. This is
inevitable.
This
past week I received a letter from my colleague, Andrew Halladay, the vicar of
Saint Augustine’s, inviting Saint Faith’s and others to engage in a process of
discernment to envision how we might exercise our ministries more
collaboratively. What shape this might
take will, no doubt, bring out various views.
But this is the nature of the politics of discipleship.
This
past week Church Committee responded to an initiative to add a third service at
Saint Faith’s on Sunday evenings. Saint
Hildegard’s Sanctuary will be led by the Rev’d Melanie Calabrigo, whom many of
you have met. Saint Hildegard’s will
bring an arts-based, contemplative approach to the celebration of the
eucharist. We hope that it will attract
people for whom more traditional worship does not enrich their spiritual lives
as well as others who want, from time to time, another way to nurture their
discipleship. We still have questions
about how this initiative will work, but this is the nature of the politics of
discipleship.
On
Sunday, 11 September 2016, we will celebrate the sixty-ninth anniversary of the
founding of Saint Faith’s and begin our seventieth year of ministry. This anniversary will bring with it the task
of ‘interpreting the signs of the kingdom’, the politics of discipleship, as we
discern what we believe God is inviting us to do. Different views will, no doubt, be shared,
but they need not divide us. We have
seek the common good and, if we are very fortunate, we may see the kingdom
itself, even if partially, and rejoice together in a shared vision and commitment.
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