Signs

August 18, 2019

Gospel Lesson: Luke 12:4956 [Undergoing the Baptism of Christ]

"I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five 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 say at once, 'A shower is coming.' 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?

The Peace (+) of the Lord be with you. Amen.

We all want a good, peaceful life. And so it is necessary to read and interpret the signs of what is happening around us. For example, we try to understand what someone is thinking so that we do not argue. We listen to them and watch their body language. We do this in the family, at work, at school and at church all the time. Jesus talked watching and forecasting the weather. If we see a dark cloud, we carry an umbrella. We watch the weather forecast to plan our picnics. Businessmen watch trends.

It is not enough to know what the future might be, we must prepare for it. It is not enough to know what might be happening around us right now, we must react to it. We must not ignore the signs. For example, if we are starting to get sick, we must take medicine. If our eyesight is going bad, we must get new glasses. If our car is making funny noises, we must take it to the garage. If the enemy is stockpiling weapons on the border, we must prepare for war. It is important to see signs and interpret them correctly. You have to make a correct diagnosis in order to take the right and effective medicine; the wrong medicine might kill you. If the road sign says "Dead End" you must make a U-turn.

Jesus tells us to read the signs of the times and make the correct analysis. He said, "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?" They could not interpret the present time when Jesus was standing in front of them. They saw the signs of the miracles of Jesus, but rather than seeing the love and mercy of Jesus, they saw that he was breaking the Law of the Sabbath. They heard Jesus talk about the Kingdom of God and thought Jesus was talking about the political country of Judea. Jesus showed them the signs of their sin, but they only saw what they thought were the sins of Jesus. Jesus told them to repent, but they condemned Jesus to die. That was the biggest sign of their unbelief and rebellion against God.

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus gives three signs: fire, baptism, and division. "I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three." Do not underestimate these signs. Yes, fire does cleanse things, but Jesus means a fire that will destroy the earth and burn us to a crisp. Baptism does wash away our sins, but first we are drowned and die. And divisions in the family not only alienate us to each other, but bring murder, too. The fire could be the fire of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, but the Holy Spirit only comes after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Because in other places in the Gospel, Jesus makes clear that the distress of his "baptism" is the cross and resurrection. These three are the signs we must see and understand. And we must see also the sign that was written above Jesus when on the cross. "This is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Here we see Jesus on his royal throne, here we see Jesus doing what only he can do as our King and Savior, and here we see Jesus dying to forgive our sin.

Like a consuming fire or a drowning flood, in Baptism we must die with Jesus. And if we die with Jesus we will also rise with Jesus.

When we were baptized we received the sign of the Holy Cross. Last Sunday little Aubrey was baptized. The words of the baptism rite read, "Aubrey Jane Meier, receive the sign of the holy cross both upon your (+) forehead and upon your (+) heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified." The water of baptism soon dries. But the Word and Promise of Christ are always fresh in our minds (+) and in our hearts (+).

To his enemies Jesus said, "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?" Jesus wants us to know how to interpret the present time. How do our Christian baptized minds (+) and hearts (+) see and feel and understand the present time? Because it is only with the help of the Holy Spirit who gives us faith that we can accurately analyze the world. In all the conflict and war and anxiety of our present age, we see not just the surface symptoms, we see the real cause. It is sin and unbelief. We see the real results, too. It is not just social and political and economic and ecological disaster. It is the wrath of God. And at the same time, we see the love and mercy of God who sent his Son to participate in this world of sin and disasters. We see the love and mercy and forgiveness and salvation of God.

We see the cross and it becomes a sign of hope and peace. Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can be bold and greet each other in that wonderful greeting: The Peace (+) of the Lord be with you. Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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