Lesson of being a disciples of Jesus (Luke 12: 49-56)

Trinity 11 (15^th August 2010)

Text: Luke 12: 49-56

 

Our lessons for today challenge us to ask ourselves: What does it mean to be disciples of Jesus?  This is an important question because though many of us have been Christians for years, there is very little thing that differentiate us from those who do not believe in Christ.  I am not encouraging you to be judgemental of others, but sometimes we do need to ask ourselves: “What is the difference between me and the other fellow who is not a Christian?”

 If we are true disciples of Jesus there must be some differences, not only with non-believers but between who you are now and who you were before.  When we compare our lives now with our old lives – we must see the difference.    Now, we have something that the world can’t give and the world can’t take away.  We have something that makes us want to get up when we are down, and makes us strong when we are weak.  We have something that makes us believe the impossible, something that keeps us together when problems seem to overwhelm us.  And that thing is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

And what does it mean to have a true personal relationship with Jesus?  It is much more than admiring Jesus, or singing songs about Jesus, or knowing the scriptures and saying our prayers.  The disciple is a follower of Jesus, meaning that he discerns and puts into practice the teachings and examples of Jesus.  If we are true disciples of Jesus, our lives will truly change.

I want to tell you that change in our life will invite certain reaction from people.  People you are familiar with will start to treat you differently because you have changed. Things that you used to do; you don’t do anymore. Places you use to go; you won’t go anymore.  People you used to mix with; you don’t mix with anymore.  Things you used to say; you won’t say anymore.   Your new relationship with Jesus brings changes and you are now moving closer to God.  We also get benefits by being disciples of Jesus.  He becomes our friend; he forgives our sins; he cleanses us of our bad habits.  We also belong to the family of the Church.

However, there is another side to being a disciple.  This is what the Gospel reading tells us this morning.  This thing we call discipleship isn’t an easy road to follow.  When we give our lives to Christ, we will face consequences, challenges, and concerns.  In this sinful world, people are not just opposing what is bad and wrong – they oppose anything they don’t like – even what is good and right.  So when you commit your life to Jesus you will find that not everything will go our way, and sometimes the road will get very tough.  When we commit our lives to Christ and work for the kingdom of God, we will be met with some opposition. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 10:22, “and you shall be hated among people for my name sake”.  In other words, when you have truly become disciple of Jesus, get ready for some opposition.

Of course, if you are a Christian who does not do anything or say anything, there will be no problem.  But the moment you express an opinion, and do things that you believe God is calling you to do, or just stop doing things that you used to do - you will hear something not so nice being said by your friends.  The moment you start to obey God and his Holy Spirit - problems will start to arrive.  All of a sudden, your friends will be your enemies; people who used to agree with you will question your motives and integrity; people who used to be nice to you may spread gossip and lies about you.

When you commit your life to Jesus, you may find yourself in a place of division.  You may find yourself fighting war that you did not start. When you have the light of Christ, those in darkness will be your enemies.

At the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus, after his temptation in the desert, came into a synagogue preaching “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor”.  They people were astonished at what he preached, and flocked to him to hear his sermon and to be healed of the sickness.  But the good things people said about Jesus did not last long.  People were angered when he questioned and challenged the status quo.  When Jesus started mixing with tax-collectors and sinners, it angered the religious circles.  When Jesus healed a blind man, or a paralysed man on the Sabbath he caused strife and division.

How is it that a person called the Prince of Peace be a man who causes strife and division?  Didn’t Jesus say several times to his disciples, “go in peace”, “peace be with you”, and again he said in John 14: 27: “Peace I leave you and peace I give unto you”?  Now Jesus is saying, “I come not to bring peace?”  Why does he contradict himself?

First, I want you to understand that the whole of chapter 12 of Luke is about discipleship.  Jesus is teaching the people about what it really means to be a disciple. He is also warning his disciples of what will happen to them once they go out and start serving Jesus truthfully and faithfully.  He starts out in verses 1-3 saying that the hypocrisy that has blinded them in the past will eventually be seen.  In other words, when you become true disciples of Jesus, what people say behind your back will be said right before your face.   

In verses 4-11, Jesus taught that a true disciple need not worry about what people may say or do to them.  In our reading last week, we heard Jesus telling his disciples not to be too worried about acquiring possessions.  He also warned the disciples to be prepared for the Lord’s return and be ready for the Day of the Lord.

This leads up to our text this morning, when Jesus tells them “I have not come to bring peace, but strife and division on the earth”.  Why does Jesus say that?  It is because there is a lot of false peace in this world.  Sometimes we are nice to people and they are nice to us because we do not want trouble.  But people say bad things behind each others’ backs.  But when Jesus comes to bring peace, it is not false peace.  When a person becomes a true disciple of Jesus, he can no longer pretend to be what he is not.  This is what Jesus means when he said, in verse 49,” I have come to bring fire on the earth”.  There are many things that Jesus likes to burn up in our lives: our pride, our envy, our jealously, our false ego and self-esteem, the bitterness, hatred, selfishness that are in our hearts and all the things that holding us back from a true relationship with God.  

When Jesus refines us with his fire, it hurts – sometimes we think that God is punishing us.  But what is actually happening is that the Lord is polishing us up for greater work, and taking off all the impurities from us, and teaching us how to trust and believe him more. That is why the Bible pictures God as the potter and we are the clay: the potter will smash, ground, burn the clay in fire so a refined pot is produced.   

But why does it cause strife and division?   It is because you are now a new creation.  You used to walk in the dark – now you walk in the light.  And your friends who are not walking in the light will have problems with the new you.  Jesus points out that some of the biggest obstacles from living a life totally dedicated to Jesus come right out of our own households.  Jesus said in Matthew 10: 36 that sometimes, “a person’s worst enemies will be right in her or his own household”.  People who should be happy that we are saved and working for the Lord are the ones who can hinder our happiness and kill our blessings.  

Some of us may be going through the refining fire right now, because of the division within is coming from our own families.  Jesus is telling us that this is normal for his disciples to experience such thing.  Satan may be at work to cause it to happen, but God is also using it to prepare us for a breakthrough and strengthening us for a mighty and great work.  

Jesus said, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. ⁵⁵And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is.”  Many people can interpret the signs of what is going to happen outside their lives.  But how many people really can see what is happening in their own lives?  People can look at the sky and say that it is going to rain, but do they see where they are heading? 

But when the refining fire of God truly comes into our lives, we are going to see what we have never seen before, and you will know where you are heading.    As disciples of Christ, we can discern what God is calling us to do.  We judge and decide for ourselves what we are going to do.  This does not mean that you don’t care about other people, or that you can do whatever you like regardless of its effect on others.  As Christians you must behave responsibly.  But my point is, in the end nobody is going to do the work for you. Nobody is going to put much time and effort in your problems than you.  You must see for yourselves because in the end, you are responsible for yourself. You are accountable to yourself – not your colleagues who are still in the dark, not your family members who reject you, not your drinking buddies, but yourself.