8/14
49 “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.”
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.”
Interpreting the Time
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?
What’s up with Jesus?
Does this even sound like him?
Even though he’s talking here with his closest friends,
nevertheless, it’s disturbing…
Fire?
Division…?
Families torn apart?
Is that what the guy whose name we claim brings?
While a case can be made for what response a radical
righteousness produces, what concerns me is that this is the self-description
of every demagogue that comes along. Or people in extreme positions. Jesus
language has an apocalyptic sense like Trump’s “Midnight in America ” speeches.
It’s especially hard in what feels like one of the most divided times in our
country. It almost feels like Jesus is
glorying in that division.
First, let’s look at the context….he speaks of a baptism…he sees that what lies head for
him is like a baptism, a baptism of fire,
as we say…Jerusalem is inevitable. He
can see where this is leading. To go
against the church and state, the establishment, the empire, yes , that will bring
division….
As I quoted from Mary Gautier last week:
My church and my country could use a little mercy now
As they sink into a poisoned pit it's going to take forever to climb out
They carry the weight of the faithful who follow them down
I love my church and country, they could use some mercy now
As they sink into a poisoned pit it's going to take forever to climb out
They carry the weight of the faithful who follow them down
I love my church and country, they could use some mercy now
Let’s look closer at what he’s feeling… Συνέχομαι distressed, hard pressed, in a diificult strait, in a tight place…
He’s
feeling STRESS
DISTRESSED
He is IN
A TIGHT SPOT, in a STRAIGHT (it’s like
in Hebrew, the word mtrzrayim, it’s the word for Egypt, but it also means the narrow
place, the tight place…talking about
that has become part of the passover
seder..)..
Should
we tell Jesus to maybe do some mindfulness work? Take up yoga?
Are you
under stress/ tension? What makes up yours?
Also….he
feels we can’t read the times….again,
that’s hard…facing what we’re facing these days…
Our
homeless population has once again risen from 60,000 to now almost 80000…what’s
going on? That’s why we’re seeing so many around…There’s boundless spirit around
us...,but it feels like it’s all circulating in a small circle.
We’ve
got a candidate for our highest office who says our president founded the
world’s worst terror organization (that actually could have been argued for another president)
There's no progress on the climate crisis
What do
you read? In the signs of these days?
One of
our congregation feels like Hilary and Trump are actually in cahoots
together. Old friends, invited wedding
gests, etc. And that Trump is so outrageous just to guarantee Hilary wins.
Another is mainly worried about her children. And another sees hope and
possibility out of the definitive clarity of the moment.
Is
division inevitable? We’re not sure.
Today,
after the scripture, I sang Blowin in the Wind, by Bob Dylan, remembering his
line You don’t need a weatherman to know
which way the wind blows…
Things
are quieter now that Restoration ministries has moved on to Judson Church for
their services. Though the volume of their worship often gave me a headache, I
nevertheless miss their eclectic blend of rocking pentecostalism, progressive
social perspective and African American prayer and worship while being openly and celebretary.. queer. I will definitely miss them.
 |
| Thanks again, Leila |
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