What on earth is today's gospel about? Let me read it to you again. Jesus is saying I am longing to finish what I am called to do. It will mean fire - that is extreme stress and testing for people; it will cause division within families and many have no clue what is about to happen!  Not the most encouraging of topics!

 It seems to be stuff calculated to turn many people off following God- including church members. But the issues raised in today's gospel are central, even critical, to understanding what it means to be a follower of Jesus. So what is Jesus real message and how does it relate to us today?

 Jesus here is challenging people's comfortable assumptions about what it will mean for them to follow him. He will not bring peace on earth but conflict and division!  He wades into family values! Families will be split down the middle as they disagree about following him. Obviously Jesus did not have the benefit of focus groups, spin doctors and opinion polls. In our time leaders and politicians (of every stripe) all agree in professing undying admiration and support of the nuclear family even if the y are unable to agree upon anything else.

 But before we write off Jesus as a wide- eyed dreamer, a religious fundamentalist, fanatic, who has nothing relevant to say to us we need to ask the question ?what is he getting at here?'

 People would have understood him to be saying in, a memorable way, ?you cannot put your family before me. If you are going to be my disciple then, your love and commitment to me must be greater than your love and commitment to them'. That is truly radical, a hard saying of Jesus. It runs utterly counter to what most of us assume is our God given order of priorities - first family, then others and finally self. 

 Many in the crowds were followers of Jesus. As he went from place to place they literally followed after him, but they were not necessarily his disciples. Are we disciples of Jesus? To be a disciple, - we have to move beyond simply being part of the crowd (those who show up on Sundays) to being part of the committed (those who are dedicated to growing in their faith). It means loving Jesus more than anything including our families: if we do not have a family to love then our friends or significant others?

 The fundamental issue that Jesus was driving at was that of idolatry. The first of the Ten Commandments says:

"I am the Lord your God.you shall have no other God's but me". Ex. 20:1

 Idolatry isn't limited to superstitious people kneeling before statues of animals or cavorting before trees, moon or sun. Oh no! Idolatry is an equal opportunity employer. People who claim to be spiritual and those who scorn any spiritual beliefs are equally susceptible to its clutch. Idolatry happens when anything or anyone supplants our affection for or worship of God. We can worship power, money, sex, sport, pleasure, family or even ourselves-these are all common gods today.

 There are times when my priorities are balanced-God is in first place. But then there are other times when my priorities get messed up, God effectively becomes about number 15 on my list of priorities. How can I tell?  By reviewing how I am spending my time. How much time do I spend thinking about God, talking with him and serving him versus time spent cooking the perfect meal, reading the latest thriller, watching TV, planning my next stimulating vacation or whatever it might be. By asking myself ?what are my current priorities; what is driving me?'  I can get an accurate read of the idolatry meter. Meeting regularly with a spiritual director, talking honestly with friends who are also trying to put Jesus first also help keep me on track or bring me back when I have lost my focus.

 An important question for all of us to struggle with is "where is God in my order of priorities today?'

 Jesus ends by saying you can read the signs about the weather-remember he was not living in Minnesota! But you can't or do not read the signs of what is about to happen to the world.

In the late 1930's, despite all the ominous signs of a furiously re-arming Germany led by a powerful, ambitious demagogue, many people in England refused to read these signs of the times. When the chickens came home to roost England was woefully unprepared for conflict and very nearly became another occupied country for the Nazis with who knows what geopolitical consequences.

 What signs are we not reading today? Is it the signs of climate change and human driven global warming? Is it the signs of the loss of any ethical compass in the West for many who are leaders in business and politics? Is it the acids of secularism eating away at our values and quality of life? Jesus is saying to us today "Read the Signs and then respond!"