Baptism and Fire

This is part of my first sermon I gave at Christus Victor. It has come up many times since the date of this sermon so I thought I would post it.

The Gospel: Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52

Matthew 13: 49-50
"So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

When we read the Gospel for today we get to this very touchy subject – the angels will come to separate the evil from the righteous and throw them in the burning fire. This can easily be translated and read as very harsh and it is. I was joking with people in the office about my first sermon here being fire and brimstone. Yet, I can’t help but look for the good news found in these few words. I first went to the Romans reading for today where Paul says very clearly – nothing can separate us from the love of God because of Christ Jesus – Paul writes, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 26-39) Paul in the Holy Word says that the angels can’t separate us from the love of God. So, what are we missing from the reading in Matthew that the angels will separate us? The evil from the righteous. So, I headed to the Greek and found something very interesting!

"evil" is a plural substantival adjective. It could translate as "the evil (ones)" so – “The angels will come out and separate the evil ones from the righteous” which is how we tend to read it.

However, it could be translated: "the evil(s)" – so that would read – “The angels will come out and separate the evils from the midst of the righteous”. One could translate/interpret this as God separating the sin of our flesh and worldly existence from the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

That happens through the power of the Holy Spirit in the waters of baptism. We are born new – clothed with Christ – having the evils in us separated and thrown into the fire – a fire – and a fire is known to be purifying and cleansing. Through Christ Jesus we are brought together as one – through our baptism we are brought together as one – seeking out this unexpected kingdom.