Weather Signs
Preaching
Preaching the Parables
Series II, Cycle C
Object:
49"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were
already kindled! 50I have a baptism with which to be baptized,
and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51Do you think
that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you,
but rather division! 52From now on five in one household will be
divided, three against two and two against three; 53they 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."
54He 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. 55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?"
The government spends millions of dollars to launch weather satellites. They observe the patterns of weather systems around the world. Meteorologists use the data to try to predict what the weather will be so as to plan for what may be coming. The predictions are fairly reliable in the short term. They prove to be less reliable for the long term. Even in the short term the weather produces surprises. Tornadoes show up unexpectedly. A few years ago flash floods killed people and destroyed property with practically no warning in southeastern Ohio. Hurricanes suddenly change directions. Still we try to read the weather signs.
People also study other signs to try to predict the future. They look at trends and project them into the future. Most people will remember the gloomy predictions in the 1970s. They said that the world would run out of oil by the end of the century. Because of the warnings, adjustments were made in the use of oil. New discoveries of major reserves were made, sparked in part by the warnings of the depletion of known resources.
Jesus proposes that people can read the signs of spiritual consequences from human behavior and God's activities as certainly as they can read the weather signs. The urgency and importance of reading the signs are even greater for where the winds of the Spirit blow. They affect eternity.
Context
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Isaiah 5:1-7) The image of a vineyard belonging to the Lord is described. The Lord exerted a great amount of effort to clear the ground, plant it, and expected it to produce fruit. Instead it produced wild grapes. Now the Lord will remove the protective walls that allowed it to prosper. The image is applied to Israel and Judah. Where the Lord had expected justice as the response to the care devoted to them, they disappointed the Lord with bloodshed.
The Second Lesson. (Hebrews 11:29--12:2) The reading recounts the Old Testament experience of deliverance and faithfulness by various heroes. Yet they did not realize fully their hopes. Now in Jesus Christ Christians have that fulfillment. They are admonished to persevere in faithfulness as they contemplate what Jesus has shown as the perfection of God's promise.
Gospel. (Luke 12:49-56) The pericope begins with Jesus' statement that conflict can be expected as a consequence of his ministry. Then he tells the crowd to read the signs of the times. He uses the brief parable of reading weather signs to call the crowd to read the spiritual condition which is now present.
Psalm. (Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19) The imagery of the psalm is similar to that of the first lesson. The psalmist sees the Hebrew people as a vine planted by God in Palestine. The psalmist questions why God has allowed the walls to be broken down and the vineyard ravished. He pleads with God as the shepherd of Israel to restore the vineyard and save the people.
Context of the Gospel Lesson
Jesus addressed a crowd who gathered to hear him. They are full of hopes and expectations that he will usher in a kingdom of glory and power. He is aware that he is generating opposition. He tries to warn the crowd that his preaching and healing will not automatically lead everyone to enter the kingdom of God. He foresees a long struggle. Not all will appear as optimistic as at the moment. He wants to prepare the people for the time when the struggle intensifies. He challenges them to be watchful and waiting.
Context of Related Scripture
Psalm 124:4-5 -- The image of a flood through which Israel must go is akin to the baptism Jesus foresaw in his future.
Micah 7:6 -- Enemies arise in one's own family.
Malachi 4:1 -- The day is coming when fire will burn up evildoers.
Matthew 5:25-26 -- Jesus advises how to deal with a conflict.
Matthew 10:34-36 -- Jesus refers to the difficult baptism he must undergo and asks if his followers are willing to endure it also.
Matthew 16:2-4 -- A parallel passage about reading weather signs.
Luke 3:9 -- Fire used to purge trees not bearing fruit.
Luke 3:16-17 -- A baptism with fire and fire as judgment.
Acts 2:3 -- The Holy Spirit appearing as fire at Pentecost.
1 Peter 4:12 -- A fiery ordeal as a test for Christians.
References to Peace:
Luke 1:79; 2:14; 19:38; John 14:27; 16:33; Ephesians 2:14-18.
Content
Precis of the Parable
After warning the crowd of the way in which his message will create conflict within a family, Jesus asks them to read the signs of the times. People watch the clouds and wind. From those indications they can anticipate what kind of weather is ahead and can prepare for it. In like manner they are to read the signs of the present times. His implication is that trouble is ahead. They should prepare for it. Being a follower of Jesus will not always be an easy life.
Thesis: Read the signs and be prepared when opposition arises.
Theme: Christians who are faithful need to prepare for conflicts.
Key Words in the Passage
1. "Fire." (v. 49) Fire was often used in biblical language for purification and judgment. When associated with the Holy Spirit it was for purification. When it referred to the end times or to divine intervention, it was as judgment.
2. "Baptism." (v. 50) In Jewish circles, especially in the Qumran community, baptism was a rite of purification. It was also sometimes used as an act of initiation into the community. Christians have considered baptism both as purification and as a symbol of new life. Water purifies by washing away the sins of the past upon repentance. For those who practice immersion, it also symbolizes a dying to the old Adam of self-centeredness and resurrection to newness of life in Christ. For Jesus it was the crucifixion and resurrection, that is, the baptism of fire.
3. "Peace." (v. 51) The word for peace in Hebrew is shalom. It is more than the absence of conflict or war. It is the wholeness or well-being of the person and the community.
4. "Division." (vv. 51-52) Jesus did not sacrifice decision and difference for peace. He confronted people and required a commitment because that leads to true peace. He knew that such a decision would be divisive among people, but not because of those who made the commitment.
5. "A Cloud Rising." (v. 54) Clouds were brought by a west wind. They brought moisture from the Mediterranean. When the moisture-laden winds rose as they met the cooler land, they brought rain.
6. "The South Wind Blowing." (v. 55) South winds came across the Sinai desert. They picked up the heat so that they brought scorching temperatures.
7. "You Hypocrites!" (v. 56) It is not entirely clear why this term is used to describe the crowd. Some among them would be the professional religionists who professed obedience to God and the law, but it was only a pretense. It is also possible that Jesus used it because he knew that most of the crowd was not there because they were committed to the kingdom. They only wanted to receive the benefits they thought he would give them by bringing a return of the Davidic kingdom.
8. "Interpret the Present Time." (v. 56) The Greek has two words for different kinds of time. Chronos is a quantitative measure of the rate of change, such as in minutes, hours, days, and years. Kairos is the quality of time. Certain occasions presented crises. They had unusual potential for good or evil. Jesus saw the present time fraught with opportunity for the kingdom.
Contemplation
Issues and Insights
1. The Paradox of Peacemaking. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. The angels announced that the coming of Jesus would bring peace. Yet Jesus' ministry was characterized by the generation of conflict from the beginning. The slaying of the children by Herod and the flight to Egypt signaled the future conflict.
Even Jesus' initial announcement of his public ministry at Nazareth caused trouble. The local people threatened to kill him. After initial popularity because of such activity as healing the sick, feeding the multitudes, and building on the popular preaching of John the Baptist, the conflicts increased on almost every side. The disciples of John the Baptist had doubts because of Jesus' different style. The leaders of the religious institutions resented his challenge to their authority and the breaking of some religious taboos.
The revolutionaries who wanted to overthrow the Roman occupiers by force were disappointed when Jesus refused to take up arms and engage in terrorist acts. On the other hand, the Roman officials saw in Jesus a potential for causing riots, unrest, and revolutions.
2. Religion Causes Conflicts. It is ironic that religion causes some of the worst conflicts and most brutal acts in history. Religion ought to bring people together in unity and peace. Instead it leads to the most divisive of conflicts. Religion deals with the most important of values. That is the basis of all conflicts.
One type of conflict occurs over disagreement about what is of value. Religion addresses that issue directly. It claims to know what is of value and how to receive it. It calls for people to decide for or against it. The only final way to resolve the inherent conflict is for all people to come to agreement. When they do not, the conflict can escalate to the point where all other values are swallowed up, including the values of peace and even life itself.
A second type of conflict is over who has disposition of those things that are agreed to have value. Those kinds of disagreement can be resolved in several ways. They can involve a trade-off of different degrees of values held. They may be resolved by a compromise, with the sharing of those things valued. The amount of the things valued can be increased so that all can have enough to satisfy them.
The worst kinds of disputes may arise when the two types of conflicts are combined or confused. Those can be seen in places such as the former Yugoslavia or Northern Ireland. There the issues of religious differences are aggravated by disputes over territory, economic advantages, and political power.
Jesus caused conflict because he proposed a set of values identified with the character of the kingdom of God. He refused to get involved in disputes over how to divide up the goods, the second type of conflict. He would not take violent measures either to impose his values on others or to acquire those things which others usually want and cannot agree about who gets them. He was willing to do without if goods were not shared voluntarily.
3. Jesus and the Baptism of Fire. Some people have suggested that Jesus sought his death. The disciples on several occasions tried to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem where he would expose himself to danger. Nevertheless Jesus would not heed their appeals.
It was not that Jesus sought his death because he wanted to be a martyr. The accounts seem clear that Jesus had no death wish, as some would put it. He loved life. He enjoyed the real pleasures of living. He participated in weddings. He enjoyed a good feast with other people, even in their diversity. He seemed to enjoy repartee and dialogue with people.
In the Garden of Gethsamene Jesus struggled intensely with the question of death. It was difficult for him to accept the notion that he might have to die soon. That kind of person does not have a death wish or seek martyrdom.
Jesus did know that he had a mission to fulfill. He knew the possible consequences of it. The fate of John the Baptist and of many zealots engaged in insurrection made him aware of the nature of the times. People could be disposed of, and brutally, over disagreements. Thus Jesus could readily foresee the outcome of his ministry without either seeking it or wishing it to be so. He could read the signs accurately.
Jesus' choice was either to fulfill his mission with its consequences, or he could deny it to live comfortably. For him only one choice was viable.
4. The Present Time. How do you read the present times? What are the signs of the presence of the kingdom already here, or the need for its coming? Signs of the presence or the coming of the kingdom may be found where people are active in promoting God's presence among people. Is it perhaps showing signs where the people are responding to the moving of the spirit in their personal lives? Perhaps it is in some fresh approach to presenting the gospel. Perhaps it is some dynamic new movement within or among churches. Is it perhaps where justice, righteousness, and peace are being sought? How do you read the signs of which way the winds of the Spirit are blowing? How do you act to be prepared for the weather they bring?
Or are the signs of the need for the kingdom where people are hurting? Is it where people's personal lives are in disorder? Is it where families are dysfunctional? Is it where the society does not provide sufficient opportunities to meet people's needs? How does the church help to blow up a virtual storm of the spirit so that God's kingdom may come more fully on earth?
5. Smooth Sailing. Jesus prepared his disciples for rough times ahead. His prediction of weather indicated that his followers would not always have smooth sailing. He wanted to prepare them for the stormy times ahead. He could already read the signs as surely as a west wind might mean storm weather or a south wind scorching heat.
How do preachers read the signs that Christians and the church will not always have smooth sailing? How do preachers warn the Christians that they will not always have smooth sailing? What is the responsibility of the church to prepare people for stormy times and scorching heat?
Homily Hints
1. Baptism of Fire. (v. 49) Prepare to be faithful in face of opposition and persecution.
A. Goodness Generates Opposition. Jesus knew that where God's goodness is at work it will give rise to opposition.
B. Living with Uncertainty. Jesus knew that opposition would come. Human desire is to have it consummated. Nevertheless continue in good works.
C. God Provides for Faith. When submitted to God's will, God provides strength to overcome and bring good works to fruition.
2. Peace or Division? (v. 51) Deal with peace as not an absolute value but sought as far as it is possible within you.
A. Peace as Wholeness and Wellness. Define peace in terms of shalom.
B. Commitment to Christ. Do not submit to peace at any price since that is not true peace.
C. Opposition to Faith. If you are true to the reality of the kingdom, the burden for breaking peace is on others.
D. Responsibility for Peace. You are responsible for your own wholeness (shalom). If others are offended by it, seek reconciliation but not at the price of the integrity of your Christian faith.
3. Reading the Winds. (v. 54) Note that the word for spirit and wind or breath is the same in both Hebrew (rausch) and Greek (pneuma).
A. Winds Bring Changes. People need to be able to interpret what the winds mean to interpret the effects of weather.
B. Know the Spirit. Spirit is invisible. Just as people know wind by its effects, so they know the Spirit. They need to interpret the signs of the Spirit.
C. The Holy Spirit and Other Spirits. Not every spirit is of Christ. Test and respond only to Christ's spirit.
4. The Winds of the Spirit. (vv. 49-56) How does the Spirit blow in our lives in different ways?
A. The Scorching Winds of Judgment
B. The Winds of Stormy Suffering
C. The Pleasant Winds Bringing Fruitfulness
5. Interpret the Present Time. (v. 56) Christians live between the ages. They need to know the place where they are living.
A. The Kingdom Inaugurated. Christ announced the presence of the kingdom of God.
B. The Kingdom Present in Part. While the kingdom is present, it is not completely fulfilled. It is still coming.
C. Working in the Kingdom. A continuing task until the hope for its fulfillment is realized. Christians are in part bearers of the kingdom when they live in faithfulness.
6. A Warning Against Hypocrisy. (v. 56)
A. Hypocrisy is Fraud. It is pretending to be what a person is not. The person is not true to self.
B. Christ Rejects Hypocrites. Persons cannot be halfhearted followers of Christ.
C. True Disciples. They are committed to following Christ regardless of cost and opposition. It is the only way to salvation, to wholeness.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. Acting in Present Time. The world persists. God's action continues to take place in the midst of history. The perfection of God's kingdom awaits a period beyond history. In the meantime Christians live in the world with a mixture of good and evil, and plenty of gray areas. They make it hard to distinguish between good and evil. Decisions must be made and actions taken where it is not crystal clear according to human judgment what is the right or wrong thing to do.
Christians need the help of the Holy Spirit and the community of believers to discern where God is acting in the midst of the confusions of history. They need to interpret the signs of the present age. That means that all those who seek to be faithful to Christ must be constantly reading the signs. They need to help each other to know how to act in accord with God's will.
It is not just the preacher who must read the signs. He needs the help of the persons in business, in farming, in the factory, in the school, in the home, and in government to make the forecasts as to what the weather will be and to prepare for it.
2. Holy Hypocrisy. Many groups claim to read the signs of the present age. They make claims to be acting on behalf of Christianity. But their methods and goals raise questions about whether they are followers of Christ or only using Christianity for their own interests and ends.
The KKK puts on a white cloak as the mantle of Christianity. The cloak of Christianity covers a hatred of people who differ from them. They have used threats and brutality, even death, as a means to frighten others into submission. That is contrary to the spirit of Christ.
The white supremacist movements also at times use the pretense of being Christian. They seek to further their domination of others. Their claims of a monopoly of righteousness for only people of EuroAmerican origin betrays their real religion. It is not the inclusiveness of Jesus. He was of Middle East origin himself and his followers bridged people of diverse origins. Jesus and his disciples called people of various backgrounds to enter the kingdom of God.
Christians need to read the signs. Not everyone who claims to be holy is holy. Jesus warns against the hypocrites who used the formality of religion to claim to be holy. Their actions showed that it was only a pretense and not reality. Holy hypocrisy still exists and needs to be unmasked.
3. Where is the Fire? Christians in North America do not often face the open flames of the fire of direct persecution. It is more like a smoldering heat that is not very visible. Still the fire lies below the surface and only the wisps of smoke make it visible.
The secularism of the age seems to manifest a broad and easy tolerance. Underneath the surface is a subtle opposition to anyone with strong commitments to Christ and God's kingdom. It is the daring to be different and going against the trends that is the baptism of fire which many Christians must face today. That may be more difficult to detect and face than open and evident hostility.
4. Fair Weather Christians. Some professed followers of Jesus are those who only want the benefits of being associated with the church. They are not serious about translating the message of Jesus into their daily lives. They may come to church because they like the music or the drama of the high holy days. They may even like the comfort of a regular and orderly Sunday worship.
Fair weather Christians do not want to ask what it means to be Christian when facing the hard issues of day-to-day living. They shrink from making the decision of what it means to follow Christ when it affects profits. They avoid the demands when they have to oppose racism or other injustices. They do not ask what is their vocation when making career decisions, a possible choice between a lucrative job and a service-oriented position.
Unfortunately, fair weather Christians miss the full joy and stability that enables them to survive the stormy tempests that blow up in life.
Illustrative Materials
1. Family Conflicts.
A. A young woman in college felt a call to Christian ministry. She entertained the call of going to seminary. Her mother was very much opposed to it. She told the daughter she would not support or visit her if the daughter went to seminary. The mother would not even come to her graduation ceremony.
The daughter sought the counsel of a faculty member. He suggested that the mother was perhaps trying to live her life through the daughter. He told the daughter that she should live her own life even if it meant some alienation from her mother. Encouraged by that word, the daughter went to seminary. Her mother did come to her graduation!
Years later the daughter was grateful she took the advice and followed her leading to go to seminary. The conflict in the family turned out not to be as bad as she had thought. It was the right decision for her.
B. In cultures where religion is very closely tied to family unity, breaking with the traditional religion may be very difficult. It brings son against father, daughter against mother, and a village divided. Missionaries in India and Indonesia, for example, found that conversion required more than an individual decision.
The most effective mission programs provided a community support that was more than the formal "religious" activities. It meant providing jobs and a family-like social support through the church. Being Christian for these people meant a whole new way of life. They could not just make an individual decision of accepting Christ. They had to be saved as a part of a community of believers that involved the totality of life.
2. Reading the Signs. A man tried to operate his business on Christian principles. It brought him into a number of conflicts with the prevailing culture. Should he operate on Sundays, or were only some essential services to be done on Sunday? Should he seek the business of companies that did not engage in socially useful activities, such as those in alcohol, tobacco, and military production?
Should he maximize profits for his stockholders at the expense of wages for his workers? Should he seek investment for expansion from those who made their profits from tainted money? What about accepting the union of his workers when the union was involved in shady practices?
How does a person in business read the signs of the present times and respond to them as a Christian?
3. Spiritual Weather. Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it. Is that also true about "Spiritual Weather Signs"? Does everyone talk about them but nobody makes the hard decisions and faces the dangerous tasks of doing something about them?
4. Signs of the Kingdom. In the Philippines in a certain area daily labor rates are only two dollars or less. A Christian organization helped a local group make baskets and provided a market for them in North American. These basket-weavers then could earn five dollars a day.
Near Calcutta, India, women making miniature dolls thought fifty cents for a six- to eight-hour day was a great wage. Other women in the area carried bricks and gravel on their heads for 25 cents a day for local construction. The miniature dolls are sold through craft stores operated by Christians in North America.
Are these signs of the kingdom to these people in developing countries? Or are they exploitation of cheap labor? Are they a witness to Christian concern for people less fortunate than North American Christians?
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."
54He 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. 55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?"
The government spends millions of dollars to launch weather satellites. They observe the patterns of weather systems around the world. Meteorologists use the data to try to predict what the weather will be so as to plan for what may be coming. The predictions are fairly reliable in the short term. They prove to be less reliable for the long term. Even in the short term the weather produces surprises. Tornadoes show up unexpectedly. A few years ago flash floods killed people and destroyed property with practically no warning in southeastern Ohio. Hurricanes suddenly change directions. Still we try to read the weather signs.
People also study other signs to try to predict the future. They look at trends and project them into the future. Most people will remember the gloomy predictions in the 1970s. They said that the world would run out of oil by the end of the century. Because of the warnings, adjustments were made in the use of oil. New discoveries of major reserves were made, sparked in part by the warnings of the depletion of known resources.
Jesus proposes that people can read the signs of spiritual consequences from human behavior and God's activities as certainly as they can read the weather signs. The urgency and importance of reading the signs are even greater for where the winds of the Spirit blow. They affect eternity.
Context
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Isaiah 5:1-7) The image of a vineyard belonging to the Lord is described. The Lord exerted a great amount of effort to clear the ground, plant it, and expected it to produce fruit. Instead it produced wild grapes. Now the Lord will remove the protective walls that allowed it to prosper. The image is applied to Israel and Judah. Where the Lord had expected justice as the response to the care devoted to them, they disappointed the Lord with bloodshed.
The Second Lesson. (Hebrews 11:29--12:2) The reading recounts the Old Testament experience of deliverance and faithfulness by various heroes. Yet they did not realize fully their hopes. Now in Jesus Christ Christians have that fulfillment. They are admonished to persevere in faithfulness as they contemplate what Jesus has shown as the perfection of God's promise.
Gospel. (Luke 12:49-56) The pericope begins with Jesus' statement that conflict can be expected as a consequence of his ministry. Then he tells the crowd to read the signs of the times. He uses the brief parable of reading weather signs to call the crowd to read the spiritual condition which is now present.
Psalm. (Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19) The imagery of the psalm is similar to that of the first lesson. The psalmist sees the Hebrew people as a vine planted by God in Palestine. The psalmist questions why God has allowed the walls to be broken down and the vineyard ravished. He pleads with God as the shepherd of Israel to restore the vineyard and save the people.
Context of the Gospel Lesson
Jesus addressed a crowd who gathered to hear him. They are full of hopes and expectations that he will usher in a kingdom of glory and power. He is aware that he is generating opposition. He tries to warn the crowd that his preaching and healing will not automatically lead everyone to enter the kingdom of God. He foresees a long struggle. Not all will appear as optimistic as at the moment. He wants to prepare the people for the time when the struggle intensifies. He challenges them to be watchful and waiting.
Context of Related Scripture
Psalm 124:4-5 -- The image of a flood through which Israel must go is akin to the baptism Jesus foresaw in his future.
Micah 7:6 -- Enemies arise in one's own family.
Malachi 4:1 -- The day is coming when fire will burn up evildoers.
Matthew 5:25-26 -- Jesus advises how to deal with a conflict.
Matthew 10:34-36 -- Jesus refers to the difficult baptism he must undergo and asks if his followers are willing to endure it also.
Matthew 16:2-4 -- A parallel passage about reading weather signs.
Luke 3:9 -- Fire used to purge trees not bearing fruit.
Luke 3:16-17 -- A baptism with fire and fire as judgment.
Acts 2:3 -- The Holy Spirit appearing as fire at Pentecost.
1 Peter 4:12 -- A fiery ordeal as a test for Christians.
References to Peace:
Luke 1:79; 2:14; 19:38; John 14:27; 16:33; Ephesians 2:14-18.
Content
Precis of the Parable
After warning the crowd of the way in which his message will create conflict within a family, Jesus asks them to read the signs of the times. People watch the clouds and wind. From those indications they can anticipate what kind of weather is ahead and can prepare for it. In like manner they are to read the signs of the present times. His implication is that trouble is ahead. They should prepare for it. Being a follower of Jesus will not always be an easy life.
Thesis: Read the signs and be prepared when opposition arises.
Theme: Christians who are faithful need to prepare for conflicts.
Key Words in the Passage
1. "Fire." (v. 49) Fire was often used in biblical language for purification and judgment. When associated with the Holy Spirit it was for purification. When it referred to the end times or to divine intervention, it was as judgment.
2. "Baptism." (v. 50) In Jewish circles, especially in the Qumran community, baptism was a rite of purification. It was also sometimes used as an act of initiation into the community. Christians have considered baptism both as purification and as a symbol of new life. Water purifies by washing away the sins of the past upon repentance. For those who practice immersion, it also symbolizes a dying to the old Adam of self-centeredness and resurrection to newness of life in Christ. For Jesus it was the crucifixion and resurrection, that is, the baptism of fire.
3. "Peace." (v. 51) The word for peace in Hebrew is shalom. It is more than the absence of conflict or war. It is the wholeness or well-being of the person and the community.
4. "Division." (vv. 51-52) Jesus did not sacrifice decision and difference for peace. He confronted people and required a commitment because that leads to true peace. He knew that such a decision would be divisive among people, but not because of those who made the commitment.
5. "A Cloud Rising." (v. 54) Clouds were brought by a west wind. They brought moisture from the Mediterranean. When the moisture-laden winds rose as they met the cooler land, they brought rain.
6. "The South Wind Blowing." (v. 55) South winds came across the Sinai desert. They picked up the heat so that they brought scorching temperatures.
7. "You Hypocrites!" (v. 56) It is not entirely clear why this term is used to describe the crowd. Some among them would be the professional religionists who professed obedience to God and the law, but it was only a pretense. It is also possible that Jesus used it because he knew that most of the crowd was not there because they were committed to the kingdom. They only wanted to receive the benefits they thought he would give them by bringing a return of the Davidic kingdom.
8. "Interpret the Present Time." (v. 56) The Greek has two words for different kinds of time. Chronos is a quantitative measure of the rate of change, such as in minutes, hours, days, and years. Kairos is the quality of time. Certain occasions presented crises. They had unusual potential for good or evil. Jesus saw the present time fraught with opportunity for the kingdom.
Contemplation
Issues and Insights
1. The Paradox of Peacemaking. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. The angels announced that the coming of Jesus would bring peace. Yet Jesus' ministry was characterized by the generation of conflict from the beginning. The slaying of the children by Herod and the flight to Egypt signaled the future conflict.
Even Jesus' initial announcement of his public ministry at Nazareth caused trouble. The local people threatened to kill him. After initial popularity because of such activity as healing the sick, feeding the multitudes, and building on the popular preaching of John the Baptist, the conflicts increased on almost every side. The disciples of John the Baptist had doubts because of Jesus' different style. The leaders of the religious institutions resented his challenge to their authority and the breaking of some religious taboos.
The revolutionaries who wanted to overthrow the Roman occupiers by force were disappointed when Jesus refused to take up arms and engage in terrorist acts. On the other hand, the Roman officials saw in Jesus a potential for causing riots, unrest, and revolutions.
2. Religion Causes Conflicts. It is ironic that religion causes some of the worst conflicts and most brutal acts in history. Religion ought to bring people together in unity and peace. Instead it leads to the most divisive of conflicts. Religion deals with the most important of values. That is the basis of all conflicts.
One type of conflict occurs over disagreement about what is of value. Religion addresses that issue directly. It claims to know what is of value and how to receive it. It calls for people to decide for or against it. The only final way to resolve the inherent conflict is for all people to come to agreement. When they do not, the conflict can escalate to the point where all other values are swallowed up, including the values of peace and even life itself.
A second type of conflict is over who has disposition of those things that are agreed to have value. Those kinds of disagreement can be resolved in several ways. They can involve a trade-off of different degrees of values held. They may be resolved by a compromise, with the sharing of those things valued. The amount of the things valued can be increased so that all can have enough to satisfy them.
The worst kinds of disputes may arise when the two types of conflicts are combined or confused. Those can be seen in places such as the former Yugoslavia or Northern Ireland. There the issues of religious differences are aggravated by disputes over territory, economic advantages, and political power.
Jesus caused conflict because he proposed a set of values identified with the character of the kingdom of God. He refused to get involved in disputes over how to divide up the goods, the second type of conflict. He would not take violent measures either to impose his values on others or to acquire those things which others usually want and cannot agree about who gets them. He was willing to do without if goods were not shared voluntarily.
3. Jesus and the Baptism of Fire. Some people have suggested that Jesus sought his death. The disciples on several occasions tried to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem where he would expose himself to danger. Nevertheless Jesus would not heed their appeals.
It was not that Jesus sought his death because he wanted to be a martyr. The accounts seem clear that Jesus had no death wish, as some would put it. He loved life. He enjoyed the real pleasures of living. He participated in weddings. He enjoyed a good feast with other people, even in their diversity. He seemed to enjoy repartee and dialogue with people.
In the Garden of Gethsamene Jesus struggled intensely with the question of death. It was difficult for him to accept the notion that he might have to die soon. That kind of person does not have a death wish or seek martyrdom.
Jesus did know that he had a mission to fulfill. He knew the possible consequences of it. The fate of John the Baptist and of many zealots engaged in insurrection made him aware of the nature of the times. People could be disposed of, and brutally, over disagreements. Thus Jesus could readily foresee the outcome of his ministry without either seeking it or wishing it to be so. He could read the signs accurately.
Jesus' choice was either to fulfill his mission with its consequences, or he could deny it to live comfortably. For him only one choice was viable.
4. The Present Time. How do you read the present times? What are the signs of the presence of the kingdom already here, or the need for its coming? Signs of the presence or the coming of the kingdom may be found where people are active in promoting God's presence among people. Is it perhaps showing signs where the people are responding to the moving of the spirit in their personal lives? Perhaps it is in some fresh approach to presenting the gospel. Perhaps it is some dynamic new movement within or among churches. Is it perhaps where justice, righteousness, and peace are being sought? How do you read the signs of which way the winds of the Spirit are blowing? How do you act to be prepared for the weather they bring?
Or are the signs of the need for the kingdom where people are hurting? Is it where people's personal lives are in disorder? Is it where families are dysfunctional? Is it where the society does not provide sufficient opportunities to meet people's needs? How does the church help to blow up a virtual storm of the spirit so that God's kingdom may come more fully on earth?
5. Smooth Sailing. Jesus prepared his disciples for rough times ahead. His prediction of weather indicated that his followers would not always have smooth sailing. He wanted to prepare them for the stormy times ahead. He could already read the signs as surely as a west wind might mean storm weather or a south wind scorching heat.
How do preachers read the signs that Christians and the church will not always have smooth sailing? How do preachers warn the Christians that they will not always have smooth sailing? What is the responsibility of the church to prepare people for stormy times and scorching heat?
Homily Hints
1. Baptism of Fire. (v. 49) Prepare to be faithful in face of opposition and persecution.
A. Goodness Generates Opposition. Jesus knew that where God's goodness is at work it will give rise to opposition.
B. Living with Uncertainty. Jesus knew that opposition would come. Human desire is to have it consummated. Nevertheless continue in good works.
C. God Provides for Faith. When submitted to God's will, God provides strength to overcome and bring good works to fruition.
2. Peace or Division? (v. 51) Deal with peace as not an absolute value but sought as far as it is possible within you.
A. Peace as Wholeness and Wellness. Define peace in terms of shalom.
B. Commitment to Christ. Do not submit to peace at any price since that is not true peace.
C. Opposition to Faith. If you are true to the reality of the kingdom, the burden for breaking peace is on others.
D. Responsibility for Peace. You are responsible for your own wholeness (shalom). If others are offended by it, seek reconciliation but not at the price of the integrity of your Christian faith.
3. Reading the Winds. (v. 54) Note that the word for spirit and wind or breath is the same in both Hebrew (rausch) and Greek (pneuma).
A. Winds Bring Changes. People need to be able to interpret what the winds mean to interpret the effects of weather.
B. Know the Spirit. Spirit is invisible. Just as people know wind by its effects, so they know the Spirit. They need to interpret the signs of the Spirit.
C. The Holy Spirit and Other Spirits. Not every spirit is of Christ. Test and respond only to Christ's spirit.
4. The Winds of the Spirit. (vv. 49-56) How does the Spirit blow in our lives in different ways?
A. The Scorching Winds of Judgment
B. The Winds of Stormy Suffering
C. The Pleasant Winds Bringing Fruitfulness
5. Interpret the Present Time. (v. 56) Christians live between the ages. They need to know the place where they are living.
A. The Kingdom Inaugurated. Christ announced the presence of the kingdom of God.
B. The Kingdom Present in Part. While the kingdom is present, it is not completely fulfilled. It is still coming.
C. Working in the Kingdom. A continuing task until the hope for its fulfillment is realized. Christians are in part bearers of the kingdom when they live in faithfulness.
6. A Warning Against Hypocrisy. (v. 56)
A. Hypocrisy is Fraud. It is pretending to be what a person is not. The person is not true to self.
B. Christ Rejects Hypocrites. Persons cannot be halfhearted followers of Christ.
C. True Disciples. They are committed to following Christ regardless of cost and opposition. It is the only way to salvation, to wholeness.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. Acting in Present Time. The world persists. God's action continues to take place in the midst of history. The perfection of God's kingdom awaits a period beyond history. In the meantime Christians live in the world with a mixture of good and evil, and plenty of gray areas. They make it hard to distinguish between good and evil. Decisions must be made and actions taken where it is not crystal clear according to human judgment what is the right or wrong thing to do.
Christians need the help of the Holy Spirit and the community of believers to discern where God is acting in the midst of the confusions of history. They need to interpret the signs of the present age. That means that all those who seek to be faithful to Christ must be constantly reading the signs. They need to help each other to know how to act in accord with God's will.
It is not just the preacher who must read the signs. He needs the help of the persons in business, in farming, in the factory, in the school, in the home, and in government to make the forecasts as to what the weather will be and to prepare for it.
2. Holy Hypocrisy. Many groups claim to read the signs of the present age. They make claims to be acting on behalf of Christianity. But their methods and goals raise questions about whether they are followers of Christ or only using Christianity for their own interests and ends.
The KKK puts on a white cloak as the mantle of Christianity. The cloak of Christianity covers a hatred of people who differ from them. They have used threats and brutality, even death, as a means to frighten others into submission. That is contrary to the spirit of Christ.
The white supremacist movements also at times use the pretense of being Christian. They seek to further their domination of others. Their claims of a monopoly of righteousness for only people of EuroAmerican origin betrays their real religion. It is not the inclusiveness of Jesus. He was of Middle East origin himself and his followers bridged people of diverse origins. Jesus and his disciples called people of various backgrounds to enter the kingdom of God.
Christians need to read the signs. Not everyone who claims to be holy is holy. Jesus warns against the hypocrites who used the formality of religion to claim to be holy. Their actions showed that it was only a pretense and not reality. Holy hypocrisy still exists and needs to be unmasked.
3. Where is the Fire? Christians in North America do not often face the open flames of the fire of direct persecution. It is more like a smoldering heat that is not very visible. Still the fire lies below the surface and only the wisps of smoke make it visible.
The secularism of the age seems to manifest a broad and easy tolerance. Underneath the surface is a subtle opposition to anyone with strong commitments to Christ and God's kingdom. It is the daring to be different and going against the trends that is the baptism of fire which many Christians must face today. That may be more difficult to detect and face than open and evident hostility.
4. Fair Weather Christians. Some professed followers of Jesus are those who only want the benefits of being associated with the church. They are not serious about translating the message of Jesus into their daily lives. They may come to church because they like the music or the drama of the high holy days. They may even like the comfort of a regular and orderly Sunday worship.
Fair weather Christians do not want to ask what it means to be Christian when facing the hard issues of day-to-day living. They shrink from making the decision of what it means to follow Christ when it affects profits. They avoid the demands when they have to oppose racism or other injustices. They do not ask what is their vocation when making career decisions, a possible choice between a lucrative job and a service-oriented position.
Unfortunately, fair weather Christians miss the full joy and stability that enables them to survive the stormy tempests that blow up in life.
Illustrative Materials
1. Family Conflicts.
A. A young woman in college felt a call to Christian ministry. She entertained the call of going to seminary. Her mother was very much opposed to it. She told the daughter she would not support or visit her if the daughter went to seminary. The mother would not even come to her graduation ceremony.
The daughter sought the counsel of a faculty member. He suggested that the mother was perhaps trying to live her life through the daughter. He told the daughter that she should live her own life even if it meant some alienation from her mother. Encouraged by that word, the daughter went to seminary. Her mother did come to her graduation!
Years later the daughter was grateful she took the advice and followed her leading to go to seminary. The conflict in the family turned out not to be as bad as she had thought. It was the right decision for her.
B. In cultures where religion is very closely tied to family unity, breaking with the traditional religion may be very difficult. It brings son against father, daughter against mother, and a village divided. Missionaries in India and Indonesia, for example, found that conversion required more than an individual decision.
The most effective mission programs provided a community support that was more than the formal "religious" activities. It meant providing jobs and a family-like social support through the church. Being Christian for these people meant a whole new way of life. They could not just make an individual decision of accepting Christ. They had to be saved as a part of a community of believers that involved the totality of life.
2. Reading the Signs. A man tried to operate his business on Christian principles. It brought him into a number of conflicts with the prevailing culture. Should he operate on Sundays, or were only some essential services to be done on Sunday? Should he seek the business of companies that did not engage in socially useful activities, such as those in alcohol, tobacco, and military production?
Should he maximize profits for his stockholders at the expense of wages for his workers? Should he seek investment for expansion from those who made their profits from tainted money? What about accepting the union of his workers when the union was involved in shady practices?
How does a person in business read the signs of the present times and respond to them as a Christian?
3. Spiritual Weather. Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it. Is that also true about "Spiritual Weather Signs"? Does everyone talk about them but nobody makes the hard decisions and faces the dangerous tasks of doing something about them?
4. Signs of the Kingdom. In the Philippines in a certain area daily labor rates are only two dollars or less. A Christian organization helped a local group make baskets and provided a market for them in North American. These basket-weavers then could earn five dollars a day.
Near Calcutta, India, women making miniature dolls thought fifty cents for a six- to eight-hour day was a great wage. Other women in the area carried bricks and gravel on their heads for 25 cents a day for local construction. The miniature dolls are sold through craft stores operated by Christians in North America.
Are these signs of the kingdom to these people in developing countries? Or are they exploitation of cheap labor? Are they a witness to Christian concern for people less fortunate than North American Christians?
