Discipleship Disturbs Our Peace
Isaiah 5: I-7
Psalm 80: 1-2, 8- I 9
Hebrews I I :29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56
Isaiah 5: I-7
Psalm 80: 1-2, 8- I 9
Hebrews I I :29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56
The Old Testament readings offer an allegory of the loving, nurturing Gardener. He has worked tirelessly to prepare the soil for the tender plantings, believing his care will result in a grape harvest worthy of a priceless wine. The time of harvest reveals just the opposite; a grape that is sour, wild, unworthy of the care and precautions he worked tirelessly to provide. Rather than ripping up the vines our Gardener instead removes his protections and destroys the watchtower and winepress.
The Psalmist adds to this allegory the grieving laments of the people, people who have known peace and prosperity, but now are experiencing injustice, vulnerability, and brokenness. They beseech God to restore them; to make His face shine on them again.
The passages from Luke and Hebrews have given me a different perspective, reading them together in light of our current social climate, than I used to think they meant. Have we Christians become, over many years and generations, the bitter, sour fruit so lovingly planted by the Gardener? The change has taken place slowly at times, more quickly at others; but we do find ourselves living in a time when poverty, injustice, lack of compassion, lack of love for humanity, acquiescence, and lethargy have put out the glowing embers of our own Christianity.
The author of Hebrews tells us of many heroes of the faith, but some died gruesome deaths, and many did not receive what was promised in their lifetimes. These are the heroes making up the great cloud of witnesses, cheering us on to the finish line. But what must we be willing to endure, what path must we take, to reach this finish line? Jesus speaks to us in Luke, "I came to bring fire to the earth...Do you think 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...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? And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?"
Jesus tells us the life of faith is risky and arduous. Discipleship does not guarantee health, longevity, power or wealth. The great cloud of witnesses stands ready to cheer us on to the finish line of faithful discipleship. The journey to that finish line is compelling, offering some of us pain and loss along the way. The peace Jesus offers is deep life-changing peace that may disrupt our relationships; break in order to mend; upset what we used to believe discipleship means, because His peace is worth the risk.
Gracious loving Father,
We offer our prayer to be faithful in completing the journey with courage, demonstrating the love of Christ for everyone, the outrage of Christ at injustice and inhumanity, and the strength of Christ to carry us forward when we fall. Amen.
The Psalmist adds to this allegory the grieving laments of the people, people who have known peace and prosperity, but now are experiencing injustice, vulnerability, and brokenness. They beseech God to restore them; to make His face shine on them again.
The passages from Luke and Hebrews have given me a different perspective, reading them together in light of our current social climate, than I used to think they meant. Have we Christians become, over many years and generations, the bitter, sour fruit so lovingly planted by the Gardener? The change has taken place slowly at times, more quickly at others; but we do find ourselves living in a time when poverty, injustice, lack of compassion, lack of love for humanity, acquiescence, and lethargy have put out the glowing embers of our own Christianity.
The author of Hebrews tells us of many heroes of the faith, but some died gruesome deaths, and many did not receive what was promised in their lifetimes. These are the heroes making up the great cloud of witnesses, cheering us on to the finish line. But what must we be willing to endure, what path must we take, to reach this finish line? Jesus speaks to us in Luke, "I came to bring fire to the earth...Do you think 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...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? And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?"
Jesus tells us the life of faith is risky and arduous. Discipleship does not guarantee health, longevity, power or wealth. The great cloud of witnesses stands ready to cheer us on to the finish line of faithful discipleship. The journey to that finish line is compelling, offering some of us pain and loss along the way. The peace Jesus offers is deep life-changing peace that may disrupt our relationships; break in order to mend; upset what we used to believe discipleship means, because His peace is worth the risk.
Gracious loving Father,
We offer our prayer to be faithful in completing the journey with courage, demonstrating the love of Christ for everyone, the outrage of Christ at injustice and inhumanity, and the strength of Christ to carry us forward when we fall. Amen.
Linda Summers
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