Sunday 14 August 2016

Psalm: Psalm 80

Background

These notes are being written in the context of the NorthernIreland 'marching season' and in the aftermath of the divisivereferendum on EU membership and the bitterly-fought leadershipchallenges in political parties. Division seems endemic in publiclife and Christian leaders tend -understandably - to counter thiswith appeals for peace and unity. So it comes as a shock to findJesus announcing that he is a bringer of conflict rather thanpeace, of division instead of unity.

To understand what is going on, it helps to see this passagewithin the big picture of the Gospel of Luke's story about Jesus.It devotes the middle ten chapters of his gospel to Jesus'prophetic journey towards Jerusalem. From Luke9:51, when Jesus 'set his face to go to Jerusalem', to Luke19:41, when Jesus weeps over the city he is about to enter,there is a growing sense of tension, conflict and menace. Theopponents of Jesus - and these are spiritual forces as well ashuman ones - seem bent on his destruction. The teaching of Jesussuggests that this is a crucial moment in the coming of God'skingdom of justice, and therefore a time when decisions have to bemade for or against that kingdom. Religion has to be more than thecement holding society together. For Jesus - and therefore forChristians - it involves a personal choice that may come with aheavy cost. In the early days of Christianity the Church must haveseemed a dangerous and divisive organisation, robbing families ofcompliant sons and daughters.

The climax to this passage comes in verses 54-56. For Jesus, hisministry is God's decisive intervention in the life of a waywardand distorted world. The Greek word 'Kairos'refers to time, not asa particular date and hour (that would be 'chronos', from which weget chronology), but as the right and proper moment. The world, hesays, is divided between those who recognise the 'signs of thetimes' and those who don't.  A number of Christian groups havetaken this theme of the Kairos moment as applying to their owncontext. They include Church leaders in apartheid SouthAfrica and, more recently, Palestinian Christians. Their 'Kairosdocuments' challenge other Christians to make tough decisions.

To Ponder

• How does your Christian commitment involve you in conflict anddivision?

• What are most important 'signs of the times' in our society -and how should Christians respond to them?