Peacekeeping?

Luke 12:49-56

Father Mark’s sermon explores the challenging words of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, where He declares He has come not to bring peace, but division. Father Mark emphasizes that this division is not the purpose of Jesus’ message, but a predictable reaction to the radical nature of the Gospel. Just as the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son resents the father’s grace toward his wayward sibling, so too do many resist the inclusive, mercy-centered message of Jesus. The sermon draws parallels between biblical resistance to God’s grace and modern resistance, particularly highlighting how many in today’s society embrace the values of the older brother: self-righteousness, merit-based worth, and an aversion to mercy for the undeserving.

Father Mark underscores that Jesus’ teachings were not meant to maintain the comfort of the status quo but to challenge unjust systems and bring about the deep peace of God’s kingdom—one grounded in forgiveness, compassion, and equity. He critiques modern indifference to suffering, particularly pointing to the plight of starving children in Gaza, and calls out the hypocrisy of those who claim Christian values while rejecting the Bible’s repeated call to defend the poor and the oppressed. This, he asserts, is the fire Jesus wishes were already kindled—a transformative fire that exposes the false peace of worldly powers and reveals the divine peace of God.

In conclusion, Father Mark warns against confusing peacekeeping with peacemaking. He references Father Thomas Keating’s insight that peace lovers maintain the status quo, while peacemakers actively confront injustice. Jesus was a peacemaker, whose crucifixion was the result of His challenge to unjust structures. The Gospel calls us not to comfort, but to the difficult and often divisive work of living out God’s mercy in a resistant world. Father Mark leaves us with the reminder that we all have a bit of the older brother in us—and that the Gospel’s fire is meant to burn away our self-righteousness so the light of God’s grace can shine through.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.