Scripture Luke 12:49-56
“I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already ablaze! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 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.”
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. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 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?
Sermon
Throughout Luke chapter 12, Jesus is speaking to a crowd of thousands. And all throughout this time of teaching, he has been issuing warnings. Last week we read his warnings about readiness, watchful waiting for his return, the day of judgment. The week before that we read his warnings about greed, and the danger of placing our faith in possessions and not God. In passages the lectionary skips over, Jesus has warned about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his time, a mismatch between their hearts and their lives, as well as a warning against worrying. All of which to say is, Jesus is speaking to the people about the perils of life in their day, their present time.
But today’s passage… well, if we weren’t moved by the warnings up until this point, Jesus is here today with words that are shocking, and which, at first glance, do not feel like good news. Someone I read this week said, “If you did a poll of people on the street, asking, Why did Jesus come into the world?, it’s a good bet none of them would say, “To burn it all down and cause division!”[i] Which is kind of what this sounds like, on first hearing. But we all use shocking language, metaphors, and turns of phrase from time to time. We do it because it feels like the most accurate way to tell the truth about our experience. Jesus is no different.
For example, have you ever heard of someone who said their “feet were held to the fire?” Or have you thought of an extremely difficult time in your life as a “trial by fire?” Now, think back to when we read the story of Jesus’ baptism, way back in January. Do you remember? In that passage we heard the words of John the Baptist: “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
It's easy to hear “fire” and think “death and destruction,” but that’s not what John was talking about then, nor is it what Jesus is talking about now. Think of the refiner’s fire mentioned by the prophets, a fire of purification. And think of the way God appeared to the people as they wandered in the wilderness: a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.[ii] Fire is certainly capable of destruction, but it also brings life-saving warmth and light. Fire is a sign of the presence of God, like the tongues of fire at Pentecost.
And Jesus himself will undergo a baptism by fire in his arrest, suffering, and death. Here he says, pretty plainly, “I can’t wait.” This doesn’t mean he’s eager to suffer and die. Rather, he knows that his death is a part of the plan, a part of the story. He knows that the fullness of God’s love for humanity won’t be revealed until the world sees the willingness of God in Christ to walk through that fire.
Equally shocking to us is Jesus’ proclamation that he came not to bring peace, but division. Well. We certainly know something about that, don’t we. I can’t tell you how many people have shared stories of family estrangement over the past ten years, often, with tears in their eyes. These estrangements are largely political in nature, and they often boil down to heated disagreement.
This is not unlike the family table in Jesus’ day. Someone who had been healed by him, or been fed by him, or who had heard him preach or teach, went home excitedly exclaiming, “This man can’t be the Messiah, can he?” And sometimes that was met with curiosity. And sometimes it was met with disdain. And sometimes it was met with fury. Fifty or sixty years later, by the time the gospel of Luke had been written down, many families were bitterly divided over the crucified Jesus of Nazareth—some of whom claimed his resurrection and some of whom declared the whole idea of him blasphemy. Families were divided, synagogues were divided, and communities were divided.
Here, Jesus is simply acknowledging a truth. The man who preached love and forgiveness, who had a ministry of casting out demons, healing, and feeding, often found himself on the blacklist of the religious leaders of his day. Following him meant putting yourself in opposition to people with power, position, and wealth, and sometimes, the people you loved.
Jesus’ frustration about all these things comes out in the final words of the passage. How is it he says, that you know when it’s fig season or grain season, or when a storm is coming, but you don’t know what’s going on in the world around you? You don’t see the signs of the present time!
It’s important to be able to read the signs of the times. Here is just one sign of our present time:
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility—enshrined in both the law and in scripture—are under attack. DEIA programs and values strive to ensure that all people have equal opportunities, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, socioeconomic status, military status, parental status, and residing in rural communities. They affect things such as hiring, of course, but also things like curb cuts so that wheelchairs can navigate sidewalks, education and support for students with special needs, and enabling people to access the medical care they need. Removal of these protections would adversely affect the lives of many, many people. What to do? What can people like us do?
My heroine Joan Chittister says, “You are not required to save the world. But you are required to save your corner of it.”
I’d like to share a Quechua folk tale with you. The Quechua are indigenous South Americans, dwelling in the Andes mountains, mainly in Bolivia and Peru. Here’s their tale, as told by Rev. Cameron Trimble.
A long time ago—so the Quechua elders say—the forest caught fire. It spread quickly, flames leaping into the trees and thick smoke curling into the sky.
The animals fled in every direction. Some ran. Others flew. A few froze in place, unsure what to do. Eventually, they gathered at the edge of the woods, watching as everything they knew and loved was consumed. They were helpless in the face of the destruction. All except for one.
A tiny hummingbird flew to a nearby stream, picked up a single drop of water in its beak, and returned to release it over the fire. Then it turned back, flew again to the stream, gathered another drop, and returned. Over and over, the hummingbird made its journey
The other animals watched in disbelief. They called out to the hummingbird, “What are you doing? You can’t stop the fire with just a few drops of water!”
The hummingbird paused in the air and replied, “I’m doing what I can.”[iii]
This past April, the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley decided to be a hummingbird. We overwhelmingly voted to adopt a faith statement in affirmation of DEI that was being circulated following passage in the Presbytery of Charlotte, North Carolina. I’ll share just a small portion of it:
We are followers of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and entrusted by God our Creator to serve “the least of these.” Jesus calls us to feed the hungry, refresh the thirsty clothe the naked, tend to the sick, and visit the imprisoned. And while some in our nation are trying to erase the efforts of to celebrate the diversity of God’s people (Revelation 5:9), the equity that God expects from us (Isaiah 11:3-4), and the inclusion of all those created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27, John 3:16), we affirm that we, the Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley, will strive to be a Matthew 25 people: building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism, and eradicating systemic poverty.[iv]
Reading the signs of the present time, as painful as it can be, can offer us the opportunity to be a hummingbird. To do what we can. To start where we are. To listen with compassion to people with different views. To recognize that we can love the people we disagree with, and to do it. To write a letter to someone who might be able to help. To visit someone who is frightened or isolated. To be sure and find joy and connection every day, because things human beings need, and no one should go without.
Come to think of it, we may well be walking through a fire, too. It’s different from the one that Jesus walked through. But it is the fire of our present time. Remember: None of us is the Savior; that’s Jesus. But we can be hummingbirds, doing what we can, in his name. Thanks be to God. Amen.
[i] Jared E. Alcántara, Commentary on Luke 12:49-56, “Jesus does not hold back when he speaks of fire and division on account of his coming,” Working Preacher, August 17, 2025. https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-20-3/commentary-on-luke-1249-56-6.
[ii] Matt Skinner, Commentary on Luke 12:49-56, “This passage offers a test for preachers — really for any Bible readers. What will we do with it?” Working Preacher, August 19, 2019. https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-20-3/commentary-on-luke-1249-56-4.
[iii] Cameron Trimble, “One Drop at a Time,” Piloting Faith: An (Almost) Daily Meditation, August 6, 2025. https://www.pilotingfaith.org/p/one-drop-at-a-time?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=58642&post_id=170217346&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=g2mun&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email.
[iv] Statement of Faith, Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley, Adopted April 1, 2025.