Proper 15 :: Jeremiah 23: 23–29 / Psalm 82 / Hebrews
11: 29 – 12: 2 / Luke 12: 49–56
This is the homily given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, in
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania by Fr. Gene Tucker on Sunday, August 18, 2019.
“PEACE/NO PEACE”
(Homily text: Luke 12:
49–56)
“Do
not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth?
No, but rather division.”
No, but rather division.”
These
words leap off the pages of Luke’s Gospel account. They surely constitute some
of Jesus’ “hard sayings”. (So much for “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild”!)
Today’s
Gospel text, which - by virtue of the workings of the lectionary, often puts
difficult texts such as this one in front of us - texts we might otherwise be
tempted to gloss over in pursuit of something more palatable to ponder,
continues the reading we heard last week. In both texts, Jesus is outlining the
unfolding of the new kingdom of God. Its coming will bring with it
difficulties, and it will bring with it opposition.
It
might seem strange to hear Jesus, who is known as the “Prince of Peace”,
talking about a lack of peace. After all, oftentimes (and especially after the
resurrection), when Jesus appeared to His disciples, He would first say, “Peace
be with you.”
Our
Lord tells us that when we enter into this new kingdom, we will be at peace
with God. Jesus brings us that gift, breaking down the walls of estrangement
that existed between God and us. And, following the Lord’s example, the
Apostles often make it a point to remind Christians that they are to work with
each other to bring about peace with one another. One such reminder can be
found in Romans 12: 18, where St. Paul says, “If possible, so far as it depends
on you, live peaceable with all.” “Do your part to work for peace,” in other
words.
Jesus’
earthly ministry demonstrates His work to bring about peace. And, His ministry
also shows us when to expect that there will be no peace, and why.
Let’s
explore both aspects of Our Lord’s work.
First
of all, Jesus brings about peace to the outcasts of the culture and society
into which He came. There were numerous such types of undesirable persons. For
example, how often do we hear or read the words, “tax collectors, prostitutes
and notorious sinners” in the Gospels? Quite often. In the culture of the day,
such persons were to be avoided (for fear of “catching” their uncleanliness).
One gets the impression that the scribes, the Pharisees and the priests felt
that such persons could never, ever, become “clean” and become acceptable to
God. They were regarded as being forever outside of God’s love and God’s care,
and completely cut off from any possibility of having a relationship with God.
But
Jesus brings peace into this situation. Instead of shunning these undesirable
persons, He associates with them, He eats with them, He is unafraid to touch
the leper and the sick. Perhaps for the first time in their lives, these
people, who lived on the fringes of society, felt that someone actually cared
for them and loved them.
Jesus
becomes the “bridge builder” in these situations. He is the one who reaches out
and who takes the initiative. Perhaps it is for that reason that St. Paul,
knowing how Jesus broke down walls between people, can remind the early
Christians living in Rome to work for peace, to do everything that they can to
advance the cause of peace between believers and nonbelievers alike.
Now,
let’s look at the other side of the Lord’s ministry.
Where
the scribes, the Pharisees and the priests were concerned, there was no peace
at all.
Why?
Because,
I think, their attitudes and their behaviors were self-serving. Their attitudes
and their behaviors were also, in a word, evil. Their
behaviors culminate in the plot to kill Jesus. But before that, they had
engaged in a long series of actions which demonstrated the true character of
their hearts. No wonder that Jesus called them “white-washed tombs”.
How
might we emulate the Lord’s experiences in our daily lives?
For
one thing, we are called to work for peace. We are called to work for peace
with everyone, with those within the community of faith and with those outside
of it.
But
we are called to resist evil in any and all of its forms. There can be no peace
with evil, none at all.
Our
Lord’s earthly ministry was shaped by the cultural norms, practices and
expectations of the time and place during which He sojourned among us. In the
same way, we must look carefully at the cultural norms, expectations and
practices of our culture today. When we do, we will see that seeking peace and
working toward the goal of establishing it is, perhaps, the last thing many of
us want to consider when we are faced with a difficult or an adversarial
situation. But working for peace must always be a part of our “tool kit” in
dealing with others. Working toward the goal of establishing peace could be,
perhaps, one of the most distinguishable markers that tell others that we are
followers of Jesus.
AMEN.
