Proper 15 - 2025

Sermon for Proper 15, Year C
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
The Rev. Andrew McLarty

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks a startling question: “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth?” ... “No, I tell you, but rather division!”  

Well, yes I did think that you came to bring peace, Jesus…

After all, isn’t Jesus the Prince of Peace? Didn’t the angels sing “Peace on earth” at his birth? What about all those Sunday School portraits of the Good Shepherd holding little lambs? How do we reconcile this idea with his warning that families will be divided—father against son, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law?  

The truth is, Jesus’ mission was not about superficial harmony. The peace he brings—shalom—is not simply the absence of conflict, or a conversational greeting. Shalom is wholeness, restoration, the deep and abiding well-being that comes with being one with God. But this kind of peace does not come cheaply. It demands something of us: our loyalty, our courage, even our relationships.  

So, Jesus says, “I came to bring fire to the earth! ... Not peace … but division!”  

This is not the gentle, comforting Jesus we often read. This is Jesus the disruptor, the one who ignites transformation. We should read something vital about faith: true discipleship is not passive. It is a burning commitment, a choice between heaven and earth.

Baptism as Fire

“I came to bring fire to the earth, … a baptism with which to be baptized” — when we think of baptism, we often picture pure waters, a gentle blessing, a smiling child in a white gown. But baptism is far more radical than that. It is a spiritual fire. Just as the discovery of fire forever changed and advanced human existence, bringing both warmth and danger, baptism changes everything. It is the greatest spiritual advancement, because it marks our passage from death to life.  

Fire purifies. Fire consumes. Fire spreads. And so does baptism. It is not a quaint ritual to be taken lightly. It is a declaration of allegiance to a Kingdom that upsets the world’s order. Jesus’ fire burns away what is false so that what is true may remain.  

Christ warns that this fire will bring division—even in families. And likewise, we think of church is a place of harmony, where everyone gets along. But conflict is natural and can be a blessing.  

Healthy churches do not avoid conflict in the name of being "nice." They face it, because conflict can reveal what matters. A church that never disagrees is a church that never grows. The early Christians wrestled with huge questions: Should Gentiles follow Jewish law? Who gets to lead? How do we share resources? All of St. Paul’s writings were attempts to address these very topics. These were not easy discussions, but they were necessary.  

The problem arises when conflict is suppressed or when a vocal minority holds the whole community hostage. A thriving church honors each member’s gifts without being ruled by fear or the loudest voice. We listen, we debate, we pray—and then we move forward together, trusting that the Holy Spirit is at work even in our disagreements.  That love exists amid the work of reconciliation.

One with Prophets and Saints

This is why the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us of the “great cloud of witnesses” who have gone before us. They faced division, persecution, and impossible choices. Yet these prophets and saints ran the race with the perseverance of faith, eyes fixed on God.

Hebrews tells us

"By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned."

I imagine the faith of the Hebrews projecting beyond them like a force field, pushing the waters aside, only for the waters to collapse upon the Egyptians who could not wield such power.

We are part of something much bigger. The prophets and saints of old did not receive the full promise apart from us, and we do not receive it apart from them. We are bound together across time, as the Body of Christ, called to courage, called to fire.  

Jesus does not promise an easy path. He promises a meaningful one. Baptism is not just a ceremony; it is a revolution. Division, as painful as it is, often reveals how powerful love can be. Conflict is not just a problem; it can be a gift of new growth.  

So let us embrace the fire. Let us face conflict with honesty and grace. And let us run this race together, knowing that the same Christ who warned of division also conquered death, and leads us into new life.  

Amen.