The readings over the past couple of Sundays and today continue to challenge our comfort. Today I wish to focus on “Faith may be hazardous.” Many people embrace faith hoping for blessings and a peaceful life on earth. That is the prayer on most days. But faith in Jesus Christ is different—it can be disturbing, even hazardous.

The Gospel reading is a hard one. Jesus comes as a cleansing and purifying fire. He describes the mission as winnowing wheat from chaff, and even creating division within families whenever blood ties block commitment to Jesus and his call.

It resonates with the author’s recitation in the epistle to Hebrews. It is about the wonderful faith of important spiritual ancestors. This epistle was written during a time of persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. The author encourages listeners to persevere in the race with their eyes fixed on Christ. Furthermore, encourages to endure suffering in view of the joy that waits for the faithful. The passage concludes with a simple and inspiring direction: “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.”

However, in all the verses of the epistle today, we hear about those whose faith did not lead to greatness. For some, faith led not to earthly blessings but to profound suffering. Followers of Jesus were tortured, imprisoned, stoned to death, persecuted, tormented, and even exiled. Chapter 11:39 says, “Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised though they were given approval for their faith.”

It is one thing to talk about how great faith has resulted in good things. Faith is not only the ability to see beyond what the eye perceives or to hope beyond what seems possible. It sees both the tangible blessings of God and the profound suffering inflicted by others because of that faith. So even as faith sees that better place toward which God is graciously moving us, it also sees the sometimes fierce opposition that faith engenders along our way.

This is precisely what I wish to lay before you as “Faith may be hazardous.”

The epistle implicitly argues against two trends within Jesus Christ’s 21st century Church. One trend avoids speaking about the hazardous side of faith altogether. Christians of this trend advance what we sometimes call “the Prosperity Gospel.” At its worst, suggests that those who receive God’s grace with faith receive with it only material and spiritual blessings. They do not talk about cross and suffering.

The other trend is knowing the dangerous side of faith and going through it. Some Christians believe suffering should be deliberately sought as a mark of true discipleship. Christians ought to almost deliberately seek out. This is where our faith gets tested.

Faith is hazardous when faith leads us into places of conflict, struggle, and sacrifice. At time makes us to go through deep, dark valleys of pain. For some others, their quiet faith simply held them through daily trials in the workplaces, or just in the ordinariness of their lives. There is also another group whose faith is known to God alone.

In addition, we must note those who live by faith also turned out to be unfaithful to God. For example, by faith the Israelites marched through the Red Sea and around Jericho’s walls. But God eventually let them die in the wilderness because of their persistent unfaithfulness. Rahab, a sex worker, demonstrated remarkable faith. The scriptures cite that people were capable of both great faith and shocking disobedience.

Two threads seem to run through the diverse list of the blessings the faithful receive from God: life in the face of death and strength in the face of weakness. In the face of death God sometimes graces us with physical life. And in the face of human weakness, God equips God’s faithful people to display startling acts of strength.

In the light of the gospel today, faith is more hazardous to the followers of Jesus Christ. The divisions caused by the Prince of Peace can be more painful than the act of being faithful itself. Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. What does this mean in real life? Let me share a true story that illustrates such division.

Aster Sadiq, a Christian surgical nurse in Pakistan. She was married to a Muslim police officer. They were blessed with two children. A few years later Aster’s husband turns out to be violent against her forcing her and the children to become Muslims. Aster resisted. The violence in the family so severe, Aster with her two children escaped from Pakistan and arrived in Sri Lanka with a visa to stay for protection. UNHCR and the churches in Sri Lanka worked tirelessly to help Aster and the children to find a country of refuge. I tried to help them to come to New Zealand, but red tape proved difficult to overcome. They eventually managed to get asylum in Canada. This is an example of a division in the family, three against one. Whether the children will see their father again is an open ended question.

The Messiah’s call to commitment often causes division—even within families. He fulfils God’s agenda and demands his followers commit to the same work. While this commitment may cause division in families, the fire Jesus brings purifies hearts and minds committed to his cause.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must always be aware that faith can be hazardous. Amen.