LUKE 12:46-49

49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!

50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!

51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

52 For from now on in one house there will be five 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 say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ 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?

Most people don’t like conflict.  In fact, they’ll do just about anything they can to avoid it.  How about you?  You may not like conflict but it’s unavoidable.  It’s inevitable.  Sooner or later you’re going to feel the same way a father felt after he received a letter from his son.  The letter was short and to the point.  “Dear Dad, Things are okay here at college.  Unfortunately, I’m out of money again and need to ask you for another $100.  Your loving son, Marvin.  P.S. I felt terrible about asking you for more money.  So, I ran after the mailman when he came to pick the letter up at he mailbox.  I prayed to God that I might catch him but I was too late.”  The father knew that what the son wrote didn’t make any sense at all.  So, a few days later the son got the following letter back from his father.  “Dear Son,  Good news!  Your prayers were answered.  Your letter never came!”

Most people don’t like conflict but it didn’t seem to bother Jesus all that much. Look at the Gospels and you’ll see all the confrontations that Jesus had with the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the law.   The fact that Jesus went to Jerusalem even though he knew that many of his enemies were waiting for him there shows that he wasn’t afraid of conflict.  Jesus wasn’t afraid of conflict because he knew that sometimes conflict is good.  That’s why he shocked people when he said, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division.” 

Jesus said that he came to divide father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.   It almost sounds like a commercial for the ultimate fighting that you see these days on ESPN.  “Tune in tomorrow night to see a no holds barred family feud with your guest referee Jesus of Nazareth.” 

“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth?  No, I tell you, but rather division.”  Now here’s a question for you.  How do you reconcile those words of conflict with the words that the angels sang the night Jesus was born?  How do you reconcile those words of conflict with the promise of peace on earth and goodwill to all?

It looks like we’ve got another conflict on our hands.  There really isn’t a conflict here at all though.  That’s because the words that Jesus spoke and the words that the angels sang can be easily reconciled.

You see Jesus knows that sometimes you have to experience a little conflict before you can experience that peace that passes all understanding. That’s because when you follow Jesus you’re going to do the right thing and when you do the right thing it may rub some people the wrong way.

For example, maybe you have a friend who has a drug problem or a gambling addiction.  You feel that the Lord is telling you to reach out to that person.  What’s going to happen though if you suggest that the person needs some professional help?  You know what’s gong to happen.  You’re going to experience a little conflict.  Or suppose your job is making you miserable.  You feel that the Lord is telling you to go back to school and pursue another career.  Not everyone in your family may agree with that decision.  They might tell you that you’re crazy or that you’re being selfish. 

Or suppose you feel that the Lord is telling you to stop enabling your son when he gets into financial trouble.  What do you think is going to happen when you tell him that you’re not going to lend him anymore money?  You know what’s going to happen.  You’re going to experience a little conflict.  The same thing is going to happen if you tell your kids that they can’t play baseball on Sunday morning, or soccer of football or hockey for that matter.

Parents know that when you raise your children the right way you’re going to experience a little conflict every now and then.  Just ask the minister who preached a sermon on children while he was still single.  The title of the sermon was “Rules For Raising Children.”  After he got married and had children of his own he changed the title of the sermon to “Suggestions For Raising Children.”  Then when his children got to be teenagers he stopped preaching on the subject altogether.

Jesus said that if you follow him father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law.

By the way, if it’s any consolation Jesus also experienced quite a bit of conflict with his own family.  Do you remember what happened at the wedding in Cana of Galilee?  When Mary asked Jesus to turn the water into wine he got angry. He said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4)   Then there was the incident that took place when Mary and his brothers came to take him home.  They were worried about him.  They were afraid he was going to get himself into trouble.  Jesus was preaching in a crowded house at the time.  Do you remember what he said when he was told that his mother and brothers were outside waiting for him? He looked at the people in the house and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!”  (Matthew 12:49)

“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” If you follow Jesus then there are no if’s and’s or but’s about it.  You’re going to do the right thing and when you do the right thing it may rub some people the wrong way.  So you will experience a little conflict every now and then.  

So, instead of trying to run away from that conflict the better thing to do is learn how to distinguish between bad conflict and good conflict.   When it comes to distinguishing between good and bad conflict all you have to do is remember two words.  Anger and Agape.

Conflict that is fueled by anger is bad conflict.  That’s because it only leads to hateful words and hurtful deeds..  Unfortunately, you see a lot of bad conflict these days.  You see it in the politicians and their mud slinging campaign ads.  You see it in the road rage that erupts every now and then on the highways.  You see it in the name calling that you hear on the radio talk shows.

That’s not the kind of conflict that Jesus wants. Jesus only wants good conflict and good conflict is conflict that is fueled by agape love.  When your heart is full of agape love your desire is to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength and you want to love your neighbor as yourself.  So, it’s a love that isn’t jealous or boastful, arrogant or rude. That’s why agape conflict is good conflict. It’s good because what you really want is truth and reconciliation. It’s good conflict because it’s motivated by your love for God, your sisters and brothers and yourself. 

Consider if you will an editorial that appeared in a newspaper back in 1999.  The newspaper happened to be the Times Record News down in Witchita Falls, Texas.  The editorial was written by a sports reporter named Nick Gholson.  He wrote the editorial after a court ruled that prayers before a high school football game are unconstitutional. This is what he wrote in part,

“I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December.  I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school  teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a  30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal?  It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts.  They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer,  some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada, countries founded on Christian principles…So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I  would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in  Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China ,  I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.

When in Rome  .....

Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing.  Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.

God, help us.  And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.

If you follow Jesus you will do the right thing and when you do the right thing it may rub some people the wrong way.  So you will experience conflict from time to time but don’t worry.  Just remember this. It’s true that Jesus was arrested and beaten and crucified when he got to Jerusalem. All of that conflict though eventually led to the promise of the empty tomb and the joy of the resurrection.  Sometimes you have to go through a little conflict before you get to that peace that passes all understanding.  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

August 15, 2010