I came to bring fire to the earth” Jesus tells us in Luke 12:49-56.  For Luke’s contemporary audience, who had lived through the sacking of Jerusalem and the burning of towns and villages, this fire was all too literal. 

Yet fire has many uses both literally and metaphorically.  In Jeremiah 23:23-29 the word of God is described as fire.  The people have been listening instead to deceitful words offering false comfort and security, telling them just what they want to hear.  In contrast the fire of God’s word burns away what is false and reveals the reality of their situation. The truth will set you free but first it will first piss you off. 

As Jesus points out, when the truth is contested, the result will be division.  Although this feels like the opposite of peace it is a necessary prelude to building a just peace. The peace that earthly powers is too often an unjust peace bought at a price borne by the world’s poorest and weakest.  The peace that Jesus offers is not “of this world”, it requires the destruction of structures and practices that lead to suffering and inequality.  As Luke’s community knew all to well, taking a stand against injustice often incites the anger of those who have vested interests in the status quo. 

How did God’s people then, and how do we today, test the words we hear?  How do we distinguish between hearing what we want to hear and hearing the uncomfortable truths that we need to hear?  Are we willing to open our ears to the cry of the prophets, old and new calling us to change in order that the world too may be changed and God’s kingdom may come? 

Do not be afraid.  Both of our readings today start with these words.  What is it that we should not be afraid of? 

In Genesis 15:1-6 Abraham is afraid that he will die childless and that a slave will be his heir.  In Luke 12:32-40 the disciples are afraid of many things, of persecution, of loss of community, of lacking food and clothing and the necessary things of life. 

In each case the real fear is lack of a future: Abraham’s name will not pass into the next generation; the disciples may not survive this generation. 

Abraham is assured that he will have a son, the disciples are assured that they will be given what they need but more than this they are not to be afraid because God will give them God’s very self: “for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”. 

The problem is that we can only receive the kingdom, all that God desires to give us, if we stop chasing after all the things that we are afraid we may lose or will never have.  No matter how hard we try, none of us can assure our future, not through family or status or possessions.  But God can and will if only we can stop living in fear.

On Sunday 13th July at 6.30pm in church, our monthly choral Evensong service.