St. Luke 12:49-53 Dearly beloved,
The things of life are not as they often seem. When we embark on any journey, we have our own perception of how it will be. We enter every task or adventure in life with a certain set of presuppositions. Doing so helps us to prepare for what may lie ahead. While we go forth in this way, we are aware that our journey may not go as planned. The Christian journey is also one of these things that we anticipate. A Christian goes forth with certain ideas about the faith. Often, we enter the church hoping to find refuge from the world. We are then only disappointed to find that what we were trying to escape from is also in the church. The world is full of its own turmoil. Sin runs rampant. Selfish ambition that is so prevalent in the world can also be found in the church. All the while, we come into the church looking for peace. How disappointed we are when, what we find, is that all the things in the world that we try to get away from also happen to be in the church. How disappointed the disciples must have been to hear the words of Jesus: “you thought I would bring peace on the earth...By no means! I say to you, not peace but division.” Peter, James, John and the rest of the disciples were looking for a place of refuge from the world. They thought Jesus would give them that. Now Jesus is saying that He came into the world taking on flesh and this would create more division! Where is peace and tranquility when we need it most? The wonderful truth of Jesus’ words, however, is found in the careful discernment of what He is saying. The great irony is that there is something very meaningful in His words that brings something great to God’s people. There are two roads: one road is Christ’s road, the straight and narrow road that is well paved and it is safe. It is the royal highway. The other road is the way of the world, the way of Satan. This road is full of trouble: It is dangerous. Each person walks that treacherous road of Satan until they are baptized and believe in Jesus. Once this happens, the person is transferred to Christ’s road. The very objective nature of Jesus’ salvation puts the Christian in a different context. The people of the world do not understand it. The Christian begins to walk with Jesus and they begin to see a different character to the journey. The world doesn’t comprehend it. The difference between the two roads begins to manifest itself. The Christian, as he or she journeys with Jesus, begins to notice the difference between the two roads. The Christian sees what the world’s road looks like and he sees the strife on it. He, then, looks at His journey with Christ and begins to see how the two roads differ. Sometimes this takes time for a person to see the difference. But the more the Christian begins to see the difference between the two journeys, the more the Christian yearns for what Christ has to offer. It does come with a consequence. The consequence is that the more the Christian sees the blessings of being Christ’s baptized child, the less he or she desire to walk with the world. This will eventually be noted by the people on the world’s dangerous road. Resentment will set in among those who live in concert with the world. They will begin to see that there is a difference in the Christian. Alliances are not as they once were. Christians seem to want to be a part of something that these worldly thinkers themselves do not understand. Division ensues. Anger may develop. Resentment may manifest itself and the Christian may feel it. The Christian may find that he or she is looked down upon. The world will then try to discourage the Christian from getting too comfortable on Christ’s road. The difficulty in it all is that the more a person becomes content living out there baptism in repentance and faith, the more difficult it may become in the Christian’s dealings with the world. The world will try to get you to stop walking on Christ’s road. The world may try to get you to switch roads every now and then. This is a trick. Satan will do anything He can to stop you from confessing your sins and Jesus Christ as your Lord. This often happens to Christians. They never go so far as to reject Jesus. Instead, the world gets the better of them, and they try to walk both roads. Strife often enters even the church when Christians try to walk both roads. Christ’s teachings are set aside for what one may see as the practicality of the world’s ways. Then ensues division even within the church. But when one tries to walk both roads, he loses his way on Christ’s road. One cannot walk both roads. One cannot attempt to balance between the world’s sinful ways and the ways of Jesus. The one thing needful is to rest in the baptism of Jesus. The one thing needful is to rest in the forgiveness of sins. The baptism that Jesus speaks of which He must pass through was His suffering and death. This baptism of Jesus comes to fruition in your lives through the baptism that Jesus has given the church--of water and the word of God. This is the baptism that places you on His road. Christ’s baptism of suffering on the cross gives you a new beginning and it is renewed and covers you each time you confess your sins. The fire that is to come onto the earth springs from this. God’s people are purified, while the unbelievers are consumed and burnt up by the fire. YOu are purified. Jesus has cleansed you. You have been bathed with His precious waters of baptism that bestow the Holy Spirit, gives life and eternal salvation to all who believe this. As you journey on this road with Christ you will see your sins, you will confess them to Jesus and you will be forgiven. You rest in the mercy of Jesus. He protects you, and moves you ever closer to Him. This journey is such that the further you go on this road of Jesus, the more you will begin to understand the ways of Christ versus the ways of the world. The more you ponder the mysteries of the scriptures, the more you faithfully receive the sacrament, the wiser you shall become. To come to understand the two roads is, according to the book of Proverbs, true godly wisdom. The Holy Spirit allows you to see in time that the highway of God is truly wonderful. To know how to journey on Christ’s road, while avoiding the road of Satan is godly wisdom wrought by the Holy Spirit through baptism. There is, then, a deep and contemplative realization that the road of Christ is true, holy and peaceable. It is not peaceable as the world would see peace, which Jesus makes known in the gospel. Rather, this peace is a contentment in knowing that the almighty God walks with us. He governs our lives in mercy and forgiveness. He leads in such a way that we know that there is a greater way that gives substance to our very beings. We go forth with a word of promise that we are God’s chosen, special, blessed creatures who shall journey with Jesus not only here on this earth, but that we shall dwell and walk with Jesus eternally. This godly understanding makes known to us this division on the earth. All of this is caused by the baptism of Jesus--His suffering, death, and resurrection. It is the cross of Jesus Christ that brings all of this to pass for all who come into the way of Christ. Your sins are forgiven and you are protected and well-cared for by Jesus on His holy and precious road. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana
