Weather Signs
Preaching
Preaching The Parables
Series III, Cycle C
1. Text
"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! [50] I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! [51] Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! [52] From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; [53] 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."
[54] He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens. [55] And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. [56] 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?"
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
During his talking to the crowds, Jesus addresses the disciples as an aside. He says his purpose is to bring fire to the earth. He wishes it were already kindled.
Second Point Of Action
Jesus says he has a baptism with which to be baptized. Again, he says how stressed he will be until it is completed.
Third Point Of Action
Jesus asks if they think he has come to bring peace to the earth. He says an emphatic no. He has come to bring division.
Fourth Point Of Action
Jesus describes the division as within households, citing a family of five will be divided three against two and two against three. He then lists reciprocal, familial relationships -- father/son, mother/daughter, mother-in-law/daughter-in-law.
Fifth Point Of Action
Jesus tells the crowds the Parable of the Weather Signs. If they see clouds rising in the west, they correctly predict rain. If they observe a south wind, they correctly predict that the weather will be scorching.
Sixth Point Of Action
Jesus calls them hypocrites.
Seventh Point Of Action
He asks if they can interpret future events of the earth and sky, why then can they not interpret what they see is happening around them in the present time?
3. Spadework
Baptize (Baptism)
With nineteen references, baptism is a term exclusive to the New Testament. When the scribes and Pharisees questioned Christ's authority, they asked about the source of the baptism of John. "Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" Understanding their trick, Jesus refused to answer. See Matthew 21:25 and Mark 11:30.
All five Gospel references to "baptize" refer to the baptism John offered. "Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" (Luke 20:4). John carefully differentiates between his baptism and Christ's. "I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (Mark 1:8).
"And when Jesus had been baptized [by John], just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased' " (see Matthew 3:13-17).
When the people wondered if John were the Messiah, "John answered all of them by saying, 'I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire'Ê" (Luke 3:16 and Matthew 3:11). "I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit'Ê" (John 1:33). John's baptism with water was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (See Matthew 3:7; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3, 7:29, and 20:4; and Acts 1:22, 10:37, 13:24, and 19:3-4.)
Today's parable and the following text are the only two references Jesus makes to "baptism" or "baptized." When James and John asked to sit "in glory" to the right and left of Jesus, "Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?' They replied, 'We are able.'Ê" Jesus told them that was not for him to decide. "Then Jesus said to them, 'The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized'Ê" (Mark 10:38-39).
The author of Acts describes the "burning enthusiasm" of Apollos, suggesting Christ's baptism is related to the Pentecost spirit: "[Apollos] had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John" (Acts 18:25).
Division
We expect Jesus to bring reconciliation, peace, and cooperation. He surprises by announcing that he brings division. Furthermore, that division, at least in households, is to be "from now on." (See Luke 12:52.) Not only will there be division, according to Matthew "one's foes will be members of one's own household" (Matthew 10:36).
Does the chaos of division and its accompanying falling apart of relationships and getting rid of what no longer is of value always have to precede the growth and progress that positive change brings? Does disintegration always have to preface integration whether within a society, a family, or an individual?
Do the next three verses of this Matthean passage bring more understanding of this division? "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:37-39). Because various members of a household will want to follow Christ, they will need to make difficult, family-disrupting choices.
Fire
In today's text, Jesus said he came to bring fire to the earth. Does Jesus mean the fire that purifies? Does he mean the fire that brings the power of the Holy Spirit? His telling the disciples, "[H]ow I wish that it were already kindled" (Luke 12:49), suggests a destructive yet cleansing preparatory fire.
Most of the 406 biblical references to fire occur in the early Hebrew law books and refer to the prescribed fire of burning food sacrifices and those in the place of worship. For example, "You shall kindle no fire in all your dwellings on the sabbath day" (Exodus 35:3) and "A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar; it shall not go out" (Leviticus 6:13).
Fire was associated in both constructive and destructive ways with God. God used "a pillar of fire by night" to give the wandering Hebrews light. (See Exodus 13:21-22.) When God appeared at Mount Sinai, God "had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently" (Exodus 19:18). "Fire came out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces" (Leviticus 9:24).
God's voice comes as fire. "Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice" (Deuteronomy 4:12). See also Deuteronomy 4:36 and Psalm 29:7. God, however, did not come as fire to Elijah: "... and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence" (1 Kings 19:12).
Fire was used for purification. "[E]verything that can withstand fire, shall be passed through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless it shall also be purified with the water for purification; and whatever cannot withstand fire, shall be passed through the water" (Numbers 31:23).
When the Hebrews were cautioned to avoid provoking God to anger by forgetting the covenant and making idols to worship, God was described as "a devouring fire, a jealous God" (Deuteronomy 4:23-26). See also Psalm 50:3. "For a fire is kindled by my anger, and burns to the depths of Sheol; it devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains" (Deuteronomy 32:22).
The prophets also use the imagery of God and fire. "[Y]ou will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire" (Isaiah 29:6) and "Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29).
In the New Testament, John speaks of Christ's baptizing of us "with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11 and Luke 3:16). Metaphorically as well as literally, Jesus said, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:19). Jesus will not allow his disciples James and John to invoke the power of fire to save him from the Jerusalem journey. (See Luke 9:54-55.) In the Pentecost story, fire represents the Holy Spirit: "Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them" (Acts 2:3).
Household
Of the 81 biblical references to "household," God's instruction to Noah is the first usage of the term: "Then the Lord said to Noah, 'Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation'Ê" (Genesis 7:1). More than the immediate family, a household included support people as well as servants. A large household, subject to the decisions of its head, was enviable. (See also Genesis 26:14 and 36:6, Joshua 24:15, and John 8:35.)
Hypocrite (Hypocrisy)
Matthew speaks of hypocrisy: "So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matthew 23:28). Hypocrites hold to beliefs, virtues, or feelings that we do not practice. Falseness, phoniness, pretense, and play-acting are all part of hypocrisy. Biblically, "hypocrite(s)" occurs eighteen times. Aside from Psalm 26, that addresses walking with integrity, these are found in the Synoptic Gospels. See, "I do not consort with the worthless, / nor do I consort with hypocrites" (Psalm 26:4).
Matthew 6:2, 6:5, and 6:16 refer obliquely to the Pharisees. Answering their challenges, Jesus calls the Pharisees and scribes hypocrites in Matthew 7:5, 15:7, and 22:18 and Luke 13:15. In Matthew 23:13, 23, 25, 27, and 29, he uses the "woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites" phrase. The writer of Matthew suggests what will happen to hypocrites. "He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:51).
In Luke 12:56, today's parable, Jesus may have used "hypocrite" for the benefit of church leaders who were among the crowd. Luke also records Jesus as having said, "Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye" (Luke 6:42). In these two passages, reader identification with hypocrisy is easier.
Mark quotes Jesus as answering the scribes and Pharisees, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips but their hearts are far from me'Ê" (Mark 7:6). The entire passage from Isaiah offers a fuller understanding of hypocrisy:
The Lord said: Because these people draw near with their mouths and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is a human commandment learned by rote; so I will again do amazing things with this people, shocking and amazing. The wisdom of their wise shall perish, and the discernment of the discerning shall be hidden.
Ha! You who hide a plan too deep for the Lord, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?" You turn things upside down! -- Isaiah 29:13-16a
Interpret
Of eleven references to "interpret," Genesis 40:8, 41:8, and 41:15 and Daniel 5:12 speak of dream interpretation. The writer of Daniel suggests that "an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems" are requisite to any form of interpretation. (See Daniel 5:12.)
Regarding interpretation of the Law, the Deuteronomist advises: "You must carry out fully the law that [the levitical priests] interpret for you or the ruling that they announce to you; do not turn aside from the decision that they announce to you, either to the right or to the left" (Deuteronomy 17:11).
Using "interpret" in words recorded by Matthew and Luke, Jesus speaks of interpreting weather signs and what is happening in the human atmosphere of real life. (See Matthew 16:3.)
Most of the 27 references to "interpretation," including the sixteen found in Daniel, refer to dream interpretation. However the philosopher asks the leading question, "Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing?" (Ecclesiastes 8:1a).
Relationships
Are the three troublesome, reciprocal relationships that Jesus cites of father/son, mother/daughter, and mother-in-law/daughter-in-law not the universal trouble spots for those vying for position? Jealousy, competition, and expectations keep the players in these relationships in a state of emotional disarray. We expect Jesus to be talking about the world situation or at least the political/historical circumstances or possibly the state of the human soul. Instead, he surprises us by describing the coming turmoil in terms of division within familial relationships. What does this say about where trouble begins, where we can make a difference, and where we must begin in order to improve relationships among the entire human family?
Has not, rather, the question of the human family been, "How long?"
How Long?1
How long must we wait, God,
for people to stop fighting
nations and nations
buyers and sellers
the big ones and the little ones
in-laws and relatives
husbands and wives
sisters and brothers
for me to stop fighting with me?
How long must we wait, God,
before we let the Christ Child
come here?
4. Parallel Scripture
Baptize (Baptism)
"I have a baptism with which to be baptized" (Luke 12:50). John said, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11c).
Interpret
Luke 12:56 reads, "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?" Matthew phrases this as a statement rather than as a query: "And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:3).
Relationships
In Luke, three troublesome, reciprocal relationships are listed as father/son, mother/daughter, and mother-in-law/daughter-in-law. (See Luke 12:53.) Matthew lists only the younger to older relationship direction of these three. Matthew adds, "and one's foes will be members of one's own household" (Matthew 10:36).
Division
Both Luke and Matthew speak of division within the household. Luke lists the division first in terms of a household of five: "From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided ..." (Luke 12:52-53). Matthew prefaces his list with "For I have come to set ..." (Matthew 10:35).
Statement Of Goal
In Luke, Christ states his purpose as a question that he answers: "Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!" (Luke 12:51). In Matthew, Christ begins the segment by making a double declarative statement: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34).
Peace
In the Matthean passage, Jesus uses "peace" twice then adds "sword": "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:35).
5. Chat Room
John: For me, this parable raises more questions than it resolves. I am uncomfortable with the image of Jesus I find in the parable. He sounds stressed out. He sounds angry. He sounds like he uses the word "hypocrite" as a catch-all term when he is unhappy with something. He is wound up here, and he is just beginning his tirade. Why would Jesus say these things? To me, it sounds like a time of sheer chaos.
Alicia: It is. Jesus poses not one but two intriguing questions: "Do you think that I have come to bring peace?" he asks. Well, I thought so. And then he asks if we can figure out so easily the signs of weather change, why can we not interpret present time? Well, do we ever want to see the consequences of our actions while we can still remedy them?
Everyone, everywhere, would rather no one disturbed the water. That is how we are made. Prophets in all times call people to take responsibility for our actions. They do not want us to be passive. Prophets are hard to listen to. Jesus is the prophetic shepherd here who prods and jars us. We would much rather he were the great encourager.
Haley: Have you never been under a stress almost too great to carry? Jesus was feeling human feelings here. He was aware also of his divine calling. When do these natures conflict within you? (Yes, I believe we all have a divine purpose.) Who are the people with whom you are quite free to speak and with whom you are more guarded?
Alicia: If you are naturally a peacemaker, as I believe Jesus was, the task of stirring people into awareness is of particular difficulty. Real peace requires untying each knot of discord, one by one. That process can uncover more discord. Peacemaking is complex. Jesus' honesty to his disciples tells me a lot about myself.
If I can speak aloud to a trusted person the truth of how things are with me, I get that awful tension out of my system. Then I can set about the task of doing whatever it is that I do not want to do but know I must accomplish.
John: I fail to see why Jesus uses the word "hypocrite" here. Does he address the Pharisees in the crowds at this point? Just because we easily predict the weather from weather signs does not mean that we can as easily make the right call by the way people are acting. To be honest, I feel as if he were addressing me and all of my shortcomings. I fall short of my ideals.
Haley: I am neither mystery writer nor mystery solver. I simply do not notice things that seem obvious once they are pointed out to me. On the one hand, that allows me to concentrate on what is of most importance in my life. On the other hand, it keeps me from focusing on things that should carry more importance.
John: I still am uncertain what Jesus is trying to tell us here. He seems to be warning us. Is he telling us to stop short and take stock of how we live? Is he telling us that we must become more responsible for how we live? Does he foretell something awful that will happen in our world that we can no longer prevent because we have already messed up too much? Is he telling us that something really good will happen to us with the baptism of the Holy Spirit but that life will become bizarre first?
Haley: Do you ever stop asking questions?
John: Sorry, I'm just thinking aloud.
Alicia: Knowledgeable people have told us for some time that we need to take care of the earth or meet harmful consequences. We need to pay attention to the health of our relationships before they deteriorate too far to be saved. We need to take care of our body before a course of trouble becomes set. We need to do the nitty gritty of taking care of our children before addressing their problems becomes futile.
John: Why does Jesus use the familial relationships to speak of the discord that will happen? I keep thinking about the suffering of families in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and all those holy places today where such unholy events are taking place. Can you imagine the turmoil of parents whose youngsters are involved in activities of war when they should be preparing themselves for a productive life? Is there life on hold for additional generations? Maybe they only remember fragments of ordinary life. Maybe some have known nothing but a life as insecure and bleak as those in our country who are caught in generations of drug abuse or economic depravity or unaffordable medical care. Is this a form of the discord of which Jesus spoke that will divide families? If Jesus meant to raise many questions about how we live our lives with this parable, he has succeeded.
____________
1. Copyright held by the author. First published in Brauninger, Holy E-Mail (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 2001).
"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! [50] I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! [51] Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! [52] From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; [53] 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."
[54] He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens. [55] And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. [56] 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?"
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
During his talking to the crowds, Jesus addresses the disciples as an aside. He says his purpose is to bring fire to the earth. He wishes it were already kindled.
Second Point Of Action
Jesus says he has a baptism with which to be baptized. Again, he says how stressed he will be until it is completed.
Third Point Of Action
Jesus asks if they think he has come to bring peace to the earth. He says an emphatic no. He has come to bring division.
Fourth Point Of Action
Jesus describes the division as within households, citing a family of five will be divided three against two and two against three. He then lists reciprocal, familial relationships -- father/son, mother/daughter, mother-in-law/daughter-in-law.
Fifth Point Of Action
Jesus tells the crowds the Parable of the Weather Signs. If they see clouds rising in the west, they correctly predict rain. If they observe a south wind, they correctly predict that the weather will be scorching.
Sixth Point Of Action
Jesus calls them hypocrites.
Seventh Point Of Action
He asks if they can interpret future events of the earth and sky, why then can they not interpret what they see is happening around them in the present time?
3. Spadework
Baptize (Baptism)
With nineteen references, baptism is a term exclusive to the New Testament. When the scribes and Pharisees questioned Christ's authority, they asked about the source of the baptism of John. "Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" Understanding their trick, Jesus refused to answer. See Matthew 21:25 and Mark 11:30.
All five Gospel references to "baptize" refer to the baptism John offered. "Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" (Luke 20:4). John carefully differentiates between his baptism and Christ's. "I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (Mark 1:8).
"And when Jesus had been baptized [by John], just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased' " (see Matthew 3:13-17).
When the people wondered if John were the Messiah, "John answered all of them by saying, 'I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire'Ê" (Luke 3:16 and Matthew 3:11). "I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit'Ê" (John 1:33). John's baptism with water was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (See Matthew 3:7; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3, 7:29, and 20:4; and Acts 1:22, 10:37, 13:24, and 19:3-4.)
Today's parable and the following text are the only two references Jesus makes to "baptism" or "baptized." When James and John asked to sit "in glory" to the right and left of Jesus, "Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?' They replied, 'We are able.'Ê" Jesus told them that was not for him to decide. "Then Jesus said to them, 'The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized'Ê" (Mark 10:38-39).
The author of Acts describes the "burning enthusiasm" of Apollos, suggesting Christ's baptism is related to the Pentecost spirit: "[Apollos] had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John" (Acts 18:25).
Division
We expect Jesus to bring reconciliation, peace, and cooperation. He surprises by announcing that he brings division. Furthermore, that division, at least in households, is to be "from now on." (See Luke 12:52.) Not only will there be division, according to Matthew "one's foes will be members of one's own household" (Matthew 10:36).
Does the chaos of division and its accompanying falling apart of relationships and getting rid of what no longer is of value always have to precede the growth and progress that positive change brings? Does disintegration always have to preface integration whether within a society, a family, or an individual?
Do the next three verses of this Matthean passage bring more understanding of this division? "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:37-39). Because various members of a household will want to follow Christ, they will need to make difficult, family-disrupting choices.
Fire
In today's text, Jesus said he came to bring fire to the earth. Does Jesus mean the fire that purifies? Does he mean the fire that brings the power of the Holy Spirit? His telling the disciples, "[H]ow I wish that it were already kindled" (Luke 12:49), suggests a destructive yet cleansing preparatory fire.
Most of the 406 biblical references to fire occur in the early Hebrew law books and refer to the prescribed fire of burning food sacrifices and those in the place of worship. For example, "You shall kindle no fire in all your dwellings on the sabbath day" (Exodus 35:3) and "A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar; it shall not go out" (Leviticus 6:13).
Fire was associated in both constructive and destructive ways with God. God used "a pillar of fire by night" to give the wandering Hebrews light. (See Exodus 13:21-22.) When God appeared at Mount Sinai, God "had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently" (Exodus 19:18). "Fire came out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces" (Leviticus 9:24).
God's voice comes as fire. "Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice" (Deuteronomy 4:12). See also Deuteronomy 4:36 and Psalm 29:7. God, however, did not come as fire to Elijah: "... and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence" (1 Kings 19:12).
Fire was used for purification. "[E]verything that can withstand fire, shall be passed through fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless it shall also be purified with the water for purification; and whatever cannot withstand fire, shall be passed through the water" (Numbers 31:23).
When the Hebrews were cautioned to avoid provoking God to anger by forgetting the covenant and making idols to worship, God was described as "a devouring fire, a jealous God" (Deuteronomy 4:23-26). See also Psalm 50:3. "For a fire is kindled by my anger, and burns to the depths of Sheol; it devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains" (Deuteronomy 32:22).
The prophets also use the imagery of God and fire. "[Y]ou will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire" (Isaiah 29:6) and "Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29).
In the New Testament, John speaks of Christ's baptizing of us "with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11 and Luke 3:16). Metaphorically as well as literally, Jesus said, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:19). Jesus will not allow his disciples James and John to invoke the power of fire to save him from the Jerusalem journey. (See Luke 9:54-55.) In the Pentecost story, fire represents the Holy Spirit: "Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them" (Acts 2:3).
Household
Of the 81 biblical references to "household," God's instruction to Noah is the first usage of the term: "Then the Lord said to Noah, 'Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation'Ê" (Genesis 7:1). More than the immediate family, a household included support people as well as servants. A large household, subject to the decisions of its head, was enviable. (See also Genesis 26:14 and 36:6, Joshua 24:15, and John 8:35.)
Hypocrite (Hypocrisy)
Matthew speaks of hypocrisy: "So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matthew 23:28). Hypocrites hold to beliefs, virtues, or feelings that we do not practice. Falseness, phoniness, pretense, and play-acting are all part of hypocrisy. Biblically, "hypocrite(s)" occurs eighteen times. Aside from Psalm 26, that addresses walking with integrity, these are found in the Synoptic Gospels. See, "I do not consort with the worthless, / nor do I consort with hypocrites" (Psalm 26:4).
Matthew 6:2, 6:5, and 6:16 refer obliquely to the Pharisees. Answering their challenges, Jesus calls the Pharisees and scribes hypocrites in Matthew 7:5, 15:7, and 22:18 and Luke 13:15. In Matthew 23:13, 23, 25, 27, and 29, he uses the "woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites" phrase. The writer of Matthew suggests what will happen to hypocrites. "He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:51).
In Luke 12:56, today's parable, Jesus may have used "hypocrite" for the benefit of church leaders who were among the crowd. Luke also records Jesus as having said, "Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye" (Luke 6:42). In these two passages, reader identification with hypocrisy is easier.
Mark quotes Jesus as answering the scribes and Pharisees, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips but their hearts are far from me'Ê" (Mark 7:6). The entire passage from Isaiah offers a fuller understanding of hypocrisy:
The Lord said: Because these people draw near with their mouths and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is a human commandment learned by rote; so I will again do amazing things with this people, shocking and amazing. The wisdom of their wise shall perish, and the discernment of the discerning shall be hidden.
Ha! You who hide a plan too deep for the Lord, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?" You turn things upside down! -- Isaiah 29:13-16a
Interpret
Of eleven references to "interpret," Genesis 40:8, 41:8, and 41:15 and Daniel 5:12 speak of dream interpretation. The writer of Daniel suggests that "an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems" are requisite to any form of interpretation. (See Daniel 5:12.)
Regarding interpretation of the Law, the Deuteronomist advises: "You must carry out fully the law that [the levitical priests] interpret for you or the ruling that they announce to you; do not turn aside from the decision that they announce to you, either to the right or to the left" (Deuteronomy 17:11).
Using "interpret" in words recorded by Matthew and Luke, Jesus speaks of interpreting weather signs and what is happening in the human atmosphere of real life. (See Matthew 16:3.)
Most of the 27 references to "interpretation," including the sixteen found in Daniel, refer to dream interpretation. However the philosopher asks the leading question, "Who is like the wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing?" (Ecclesiastes 8:1a).
Relationships
Are the three troublesome, reciprocal relationships that Jesus cites of father/son, mother/daughter, and mother-in-law/daughter-in-law not the universal trouble spots for those vying for position? Jealousy, competition, and expectations keep the players in these relationships in a state of emotional disarray. We expect Jesus to be talking about the world situation or at least the political/historical circumstances or possibly the state of the human soul. Instead, he surprises us by describing the coming turmoil in terms of division within familial relationships. What does this say about where trouble begins, where we can make a difference, and where we must begin in order to improve relationships among the entire human family?
Has not, rather, the question of the human family been, "How long?"
How Long?1
How long must we wait, God,
for people to stop fighting
nations and nations
buyers and sellers
the big ones and the little ones
in-laws and relatives
husbands and wives
sisters and brothers
for me to stop fighting with me?
How long must we wait, God,
before we let the Christ Child
come here?
4. Parallel Scripture
Baptize (Baptism)
"I have a baptism with which to be baptized" (Luke 12:50). John said, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11c).
Interpret
Luke 12:56 reads, "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?" Matthew phrases this as a statement rather than as a query: "And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:3).
Relationships
In Luke, three troublesome, reciprocal relationships are listed as father/son, mother/daughter, and mother-in-law/daughter-in-law. (See Luke 12:53.) Matthew lists only the younger to older relationship direction of these three. Matthew adds, "and one's foes will be members of one's own household" (Matthew 10:36).
Division
Both Luke and Matthew speak of division within the household. Luke lists the division first in terms of a household of five: "From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided ..." (Luke 12:52-53). Matthew prefaces his list with "For I have come to set ..." (Matthew 10:35).
Statement Of Goal
In Luke, Christ states his purpose as a question that he answers: "Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!" (Luke 12:51). In Matthew, Christ begins the segment by making a double declarative statement: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34).
Peace
In the Matthean passage, Jesus uses "peace" twice then adds "sword": "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:35).
5. Chat Room
John: For me, this parable raises more questions than it resolves. I am uncomfortable with the image of Jesus I find in the parable. He sounds stressed out. He sounds angry. He sounds like he uses the word "hypocrite" as a catch-all term when he is unhappy with something. He is wound up here, and he is just beginning his tirade. Why would Jesus say these things? To me, it sounds like a time of sheer chaos.
Alicia: It is. Jesus poses not one but two intriguing questions: "Do you think that I have come to bring peace?" he asks. Well, I thought so. And then he asks if we can figure out so easily the signs of weather change, why can we not interpret present time? Well, do we ever want to see the consequences of our actions while we can still remedy them?
Everyone, everywhere, would rather no one disturbed the water. That is how we are made. Prophets in all times call people to take responsibility for our actions. They do not want us to be passive. Prophets are hard to listen to. Jesus is the prophetic shepherd here who prods and jars us. We would much rather he were the great encourager.
Haley: Have you never been under a stress almost too great to carry? Jesus was feeling human feelings here. He was aware also of his divine calling. When do these natures conflict within you? (Yes, I believe we all have a divine purpose.) Who are the people with whom you are quite free to speak and with whom you are more guarded?
Alicia: If you are naturally a peacemaker, as I believe Jesus was, the task of stirring people into awareness is of particular difficulty. Real peace requires untying each knot of discord, one by one. That process can uncover more discord. Peacemaking is complex. Jesus' honesty to his disciples tells me a lot about myself.
If I can speak aloud to a trusted person the truth of how things are with me, I get that awful tension out of my system. Then I can set about the task of doing whatever it is that I do not want to do but know I must accomplish.
John: I fail to see why Jesus uses the word "hypocrite" here. Does he address the Pharisees in the crowds at this point? Just because we easily predict the weather from weather signs does not mean that we can as easily make the right call by the way people are acting. To be honest, I feel as if he were addressing me and all of my shortcomings. I fall short of my ideals.
Haley: I am neither mystery writer nor mystery solver. I simply do not notice things that seem obvious once they are pointed out to me. On the one hand, that allows me to concentrate on what is of most importance in my life. On the other hand, it keeps me from focusing on things that should carry more importance.
John: I still am uncertain what Jesus is trying to tell us here. He seems to be warning us. Is he telling us to stop short and take stock of how we live? Is he telling us that we must become more responsible for how we live? Does he foretell something awful that will happen in our world that we can no longer prevent because we have already messed up too much? Is he telling us that something really good will happen to us with the baptism of the Holy Spirit but that life will become bizarre first?
Haley: Do you ever stop asking questions?
John: Sorry, I'm just thinking aloud.
Alicia: Knowledgeable people have told us for some time that we need to take care of the earth or meet harmful consequences. We need to pay attention to the health of our relationships before they deteriorate too far to be saved. We need to take care of our body before a course of trouble becomes set. We need to do the nitty gritty of taking care of our children before addressing their problems becomes futile.
John: Why does Jesus use the familial relationships to speak of the discord that will happen? I keep thinking about the suffering of families in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and all those holy places today where such unholy events are taking place. Can you imagine the turmoil of parents whose youngsters are involved in activities of war when they should be preparing themselves for a productive life? Is there life on hold for additional generations? Maybe they only remember fragments of ordinary life. Maybe some have known nothing but a life as insecure and bleak as those in our country who are caught in generations of drug abuse or economic depravity or unaffordable medical care. Is this a form of the discord of which Jesus spoke that will divide families? If Jesus meant to raise many questions about how we live our lives with this parable, he has succeeded.
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1. Copyright held by the author. First published in Brauninger, Holy E-Mail (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 2001).
