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Pastor Tom Johnson, August 18, 2019
Last week Jesus’ words comfort the afflicted. This week his words afflict the comfortable: His words especially afflict preachers trying to make sense of his words and find the good news—not just today but ever since he first spoke them. All these words are from Luke chapter 12. “Fear not little flock” are the public words for the thousands of people he preached to. The talk about “fire” and “division” are his private words for his 12 disciples. This is important. These words are about the cost of discipleship: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed.” This is good Hebrew parallelism. Jesus comes to bring fire but has not yet kindled it. He wants that moment to come. Jesus comes to undergo a special baptism, and is eager to escape the stress of its anticipation. In other words, Jesus’ baptism is a baptism of death and fire. This is exactly what John the Baptist predicted—that “the one coming after [him] will not just baptize with water but also with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Lk 3:16).
As you follow the baptism of fire through Luke’s Gospel it takes us through Jesus Baptism of death and resurrection. Luke’s story continues in Acts to the Day of Pentecost when tongues of fire and a great kindling wind enter the temple. That day more than 3,000 people are baptized with water, fire, and the Holy Spirit. From there, the Holy Spirit spreads like a wildfire through Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). That fire continues to spread across the face of the earth today as we witness and celebrate the baptism of Samuel.
“Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” Jesus’ vision here is greater than just the individuals who receive Jesus as Messiah and are baptized into his Church. His words point back to the prophet Malachi where he says that God is like a refiner’s fire and a fullers’ soap. God cleanses both with water and fire just as Jesus washes us in Baptism with water, fire, and the Holy Spirit. When a refiner uses fire to refine gold or silver, he heats up the metal until the impurities rise to the top. The refiner draws off the impurities and leaves the purified gold or silver remaining.
There is a division here between pure gold and silver on the one hand and dross and impurities on the other. So will the work of Jesus fiery Baptism—it will reveal what is true and what is false—what is pure and what is defiled—what is sin and what is righteousness. Jesus reminds us that the truth of the Gospel can also divide friends. Sadly, these lines of division can sometimes happen in families—and even in our churches. This is not God’s goal—to break up families. Remember that John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus Messiah by turning the hearts of fathers to their children (Luke 1:17). His goal is to undergo a Baptism of death and fire to bring healing, forgiveness, and cleansing to the world.
But not all will receive this Baptism. And so those lines of division fall in unexpected places—even the closest relationships we have. Theologians call this “the alien work of God”—the consequences due to our sin. “The proper work of God” is to save and wash away our sin—to restore relationships and bring peace. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3 that those lines of division are also within each one of us—even those of us who believe. We all have belief and unbelief in us—faithfulness and unfaithfulness. And all our works will go through the Refiner’s fire. Scripture compares our foundations as being built by gold, silver, and precious stones or wood, hay, and straw. The fire does not consume the solid foundation but purifies. And the cornerstone of that foundation is Christ himself.
The Baptism we witness today is just the kindling of the Holy Spirit’s fire. In our Baptism, we are adopted into God’s family by the water, word, and Holy Spirit. The fire ignited there continues to be kindled by the breath of the Holy Spirit and to refine and purify us throughout our lives. When we enter our heavenly home—we will be fully purified and cleansed by Christ’s baptismal fire and the Holy Spirit. We will become just like him—without sin, guilt, or condemnation. This is all because of Jesus who was so eager to kindle his transformative fire on earth. Ignited by his love, Jesus used the wood of the Cross of Calvary to fan into flame his power. The blaze of his grace spreads as we share the good news of Jesus who died and rose again for our salvation.
He canceled my offenses,
Delivered me from death;
He is the Lord who cleanses
My soul from sin through faith.
In Him I can be cheerful,
Courageous on my way;
In Him I am not fearful
Of God’s great Judgment Day
No danger, thirst, or hunger,
No pain or poverty,
No earthly tyrant’s anger
Shall ever vanquish me.
Though earth should break asunder,
My fortress You shall be;
No fire or sword or thunder
Shall sever You from me. (“If God Himself Be for Me” LSB 724 vv. 4 & 8)
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