Scripture Study for

The reading from Jeremiah is a drama of national crisis, prophetic involvement,  and political power plays. Jerusalem is under siege and seems to be losing the battle. The prophet’s message has demoralized the soldiers. Such behavior is considered an act of treason punishable by death. Placed in a cistern, Jeremiah is saved by a foreigner. The unrest in the kingdom is almost tangible. Not only do the people have to contend with a nation that is mightier than they are, but there is no stability in their own government and they are divided over the matter of prophetic proclamation. Jeremiah appears to be the center of contention. 

The author of Hebrews argues that just as athletic games were often held in large amphitheaters, which could accommodate throngs of spectators, so Christians are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Just as athletes are spurred on by the cheers of the people in the stands, so Christians are encouraged by those who have preceded them. Success in athletics requires that one have a goal that is kept uppermost in one’s mind. Jesus should be the goal continually held before the eyes of the Christian. Like athletes on the field, the  Christians are urged to strain further and further. 

Jesus says that he has come to cast fire on the earth and to cause division at the very heart of human society. While Jesus himself is a man of peace, the message that he proclaims is clearly divisive. Many of the claims he makes cut to the core of our dominant social and religious customs and understanding. He makes demands on people that challenge them to the very heart of their being. He insists that commitment to him and his message must take precedence over any political and even kinship loyalties. This is the cause of the division described in the passage. The animosity that Jesus generates is the cause of his own rejection and ultimate suffering and death.