Bringing Peace [Luke 12:49-56 - Proper 15C]
The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Luke 12:49-56 Bringing peace There are contradictions in the Bible. I don’t say that to be controversial or scandalous. I say that because it is true. Ezra says that 200 singers accompanied the assembly; Nehemiah claims there were 245. I Kings is more conservative on Solomon’s extraordinary love of baths than is the author of 2 Chronicles. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a single colt; in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus creatively, and flexibly, straddles two animals at once. Jesus carries his own cross in John’s Gospel, a Gospel that actually has very little in common with the other three canonical Gospels; Simon of Cyrene helps out in Matthew’s telling. None of these contradictions are all that significant. They do not alter or compromise the central message of the canon. Neither are the contradictions unexpected. There are 66 books...