Sunday, August 17, 2025
First Sermon, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Bristol, VA
Proper 15C, 2025
Luke 12:49-56
I have been driving my car a lot lately so forgive me for all the driving references this morning. But the other day, here in Bristol, a pickup truck driver pulled in front of me. It wasn’t a close call, but I had the right of way. I yielded and swallowed my frustration. And then he did that Southern thing to smooth things over - he waved. On top of that, he flashed his lights. And, he was close enough that I could see him smile.
So, I guess that makes it alright.
But it was clear to me that he was not apologizing for an act he did not intend. He was saying thank you for my forgiveness - which he assumed was flowing forth from my clenched jaw.
There’s a lot we do in our cars like that in which we treat the stranger in the next car or truck with loads of assumptions. If we were walking, we would probably act less aggressively and return to old standards of courtesy like stepping aside for a moment, tipping hats and opening doors for each other (feminism aside).
I just drove across the country. It takes a full week to do that, no matter which route you take. I guess that’s why I’m full of traffic examples.
When I first drove out to the Pacific Northwest for my adventure in following God’s call to ministry there, I started along the Mason Dixon Line and then I went North on the other side of St. Louis - the gateway to the West. Later I followed the Oregon Trail for a bit and also the Lewis and Clark Trail. I crossed the Rockies several times, encountered the cascades too and the continental divide and I pondered all things East and West of the Mississippi, and North and South of the Canadian border. We have lots of dividing lines in our country.
Jesus talks about division in our Gospel lesson this morning. An he doesn’t hold back “when he speaks of fire and division on account of his coming (see also Matthew 10:34–36). He makes it sound like it is core to his mission.”
“Neither does he mince words in the second half of the reading [which is the next two verses (54–56) where he calls] the people ‘hypocrites’ for interpreting the weather but not being able to interpret the ‘present time’” (verse 56). (The scholar I’m quoting right now tells me that) “in other settings in the ancient world, the word ‘hypocrite’ meant ‘actor’ or ‘pretender.’ Jesus uses the word elsewhere in Luke to talk about religious people who perform a role and play a part but misunderstand the heart of God and the spirit of the law (6:42; 12:1; 13:15). The people likely did not appreciate Jesus calling them pretenders, play-actors, frauds.”
But that’s what I want us to look at this morning. In what ways are we pretenders, play-actors, or frauds when we predict the weather but fail to settle in to the safe passage of our faith? In what ways do we choose the easier route of division over the more challenging route of togetherness?
This is a very challenging text for me to wrestle with today, here on my first Sunday with you. My first thoughts, when I realized this was going to be the gospel passage for today, was to say, “Lord, you know we’ve got this division thing down by now, right? I mean, we know all about division in our world. We don’t need to be told about division. We’ve got that! Can I just preach on the unity or togetherness we already have? - even if it’s only a little bit of togetherness?
I was left wondering why Jesus emphasizes this division thing in this 12th chapter of Luke. Well, let’s dig through this a little bit.
First, we need to be able to understand the moment we are in - the Biblical context. Jesus is preaching to an agrarian people. He usually was and that is why he often told stories about farming or shepherding. This is why we relate to the Gospel so well through our experience of creation and the care of nature, through our own experiences of the earth, the sea, wildlife or simply our back yard gardens. And agrarian people and fishermen are good at discerning trends in the weather, though perhaps less good at understanding the politics of their moment.
Jesus is surrounded in this story by a crowd it says (vs. 54). Some of his disciples in this scene imagine that Jesus is their expected Messiah who will usher in peace by overcoming the Roman occupier and reestablishing the Davidic kingdom - through war. It turns out they were really wrong about that expectation.
So, Jesus is constantly having to correct this erroneous impression. He is very aware that the baptism he faces (v. 50) is a “crucifixion baptism” at the hands of the authorities. This world needs to be purged of sin, and the vehicle of the world’s redemption is the death of Jesus. So, Jesus is constantly having to prepare the disciples for their season of persecution.
We are in a moment of turbulence and persecution in this story. It should feel very familiar to us. But these disciples in this story need to see this turbulence. We need to see it too - in this bible story. Remember, this is the same Gospel where the angels in the second chapter of Luke promised peace. This has not been forgotten in this long walk to Jerusalem. But that peace will be realized through this persecution: ultimately there is a higher unity. This is the hope we long for and find in the Gospel.
As you know if you’ve read my bio or asked around, I’m coming to you from the Episcopalian tradition where I was ordained 11 years ago - right here in Bristol! If you want to know more, I actually was raised in the Methodist tradition. And let me tell you, I am really looking forward to becoming Lutheran and living and working in this corner of the Kingdom with you.
We still like to talk about what denomination we are from or maybe used to be. But denominationalism is not cool anymore. You’ll probably hear more about that from me. We spent the past 100 years or more really focused on denominations. All of my life, I was practiced at asking others, “which church do you go to?” at social gatherings. This is not just a Southern politeness thing. Tuning in to where a new acquaintance went to or goes to church can be very informative and kick in a well known list of what NOT to talk about or do in front of that person. We don’t like to offend.
I remember once attending a small dinner party hosted by a Methodist couple, us and a Jewish couple the guests. The host made a feau pax when asking about the experience of his Jewish friend and said to him, “It must be hard being the chosen people.” He meant no offense. He was trying to connect. But the Jewish couple stormed out in the middle of the main course never to return! The host was clueless about why they were so offended.
So, we have learned to tread lightly or follow rules like “never talk about religion or politics” in polite gatherings. We work on interdenominational efforts. We try our best to be ecumenical.
But I think the best answer is to follow Jesus toward that togetherness thing - the Oneness he prayed for for us in the Gospel of John. I think we are entering a new era in the church of tearing down the walls of division, reaching out across the divide, working to heal the wounds of disunity, disunion, conflict, and discord.
We have always longed for that. We have always wanted to live into the joy of the resurrected world of Jesus. We still will do anything to usher in unity and concord. Right?
Well, maybe. But what Jesus says to us this morning is that first you have to realize where the dividing lines are. You can’t tear down the wall if you don’t see it. You can’t invite the other side toward reconciliation and unity until you realize what they will have to let go of to meet you there. More importantly, you have to recognize your own clinging to old ways that insist on division and do some letting go too.
I suppose that is easier within Protestantism than in bigger circles or political divides. But if we are here to follow Jesus, than we need to see where the divisions are in order to do our peacemaking and practice our discipleship.
Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross giving over his life to suffering in the redemptive act of atoning our sins. I am grateful to my brothers and sisters of other faith traditions for helping me to live into this and come to better understand doctrines I might try to step around like predestination, consubstantiation or even salvation!
But for me, the theological perspective that is the most weighty in this mix of understanding our denominational differences in order to then work toward unity is the doctrine of Grace.
And what I love about Lutherans is that Lutherans stand firm on the foundation of this theology. So do Methodists. So do Episcopalians. And Presbyterians. And Baptists. And, believe it or not, Evangelicals. And Catholics.
The doctrine of Grace is universal - and very important.
I think Grace is the glue of God.
But what is Grace?
Some would have us think it is a “get out of jail free card.” Like that pickup truck driver the other day - it’s easier to assume forgiveness than ask permission or follow the rules. I can be rude to you because you have to forgive me. I can do whatever I want because Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit will have my back.
I hope I’m stepping on a few toes here - my own are feeling a bit sore!
That’s what that great Lutheran theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was talking about when he defined what he called “cheap grace.” In his own words, let me quote:
“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ . . . Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son.”
Friends, as we begin this journey together, this time (and I hope it lasts for many years) this time for me to offer my best as your pastor, let’s work on this: Let’s allow the Grace of God to be the foundation for all of our efforts, all of our relationships, all of the love that flows between us, all of the love that flows from us into the larger community, but most of all our answer of gratitude and service to the God who is all things, and in all things the love that binds us.
Amen.
The Rev. Dr. Kathy Kelly