Vol.5 No.49 DoM Gospel Reflection
20th Sunday Ordinary Time/ August 9, 2016
Luke 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples, “If you think I’m here to bring peace, think again. I’m here to bring division!” Yikes!
When I read the Gospel assigned to this week, my immediate reaction was to send an email to Deb and Mary. The content was: “Yikes!”
There are three salient notes in this passage: fire, Jesus’ upcoming “baptism,” (i.e. crucifixion), and division. My husband says I tend to make things complicated. I’m going to prove him right today by focusing on division in this passage, because it’s the part I don’t understand.
Not being a Biblical scholar, the passage frightened me more than it would someone versed in the scripture. In fact, there are many references to divisiveness in both the Old and New Testaments. To name a few, there are references in Hebrews, Jeremiah, Matthew, John, Luke, Revelations, Acts… and many more. Indeed, Genesis recounts division: most notably, Adam and Eve’s separation from the Garden of Eden and Cain slaying Abel.
In his letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verse 22, Paul defines the “fruit of the Spirit” as encompassing love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Isn’t that lovely?
But in Luke’s Gospel, here’s Jesus telling his disciples that if they think he’s here to bring peace, they’ve got it all wrong. They’ve totally misunderstood. No! He is here to bring division. Well, not exactly to bring it, but as a result of his teaching, it will happen.
The general course of nature dictates that in questioning the status quo, division will follow. In reality, Jesus’ message is peace, and in preaching it, there will be consequences.
Please close your eyes. Take a couple of deep breaths and relax. Imagine that you have been a Christian all your life — not hard to do. It is the foundation of how you live and everything you believe.
Listen! I’m here to tell you today this is all wrong! There is not one God, but many. There is a god of nature, a god of war, a god of peace, a god of love, and many other gods. You must put aside your one God, and begin today to worship each of them in the proscribed manner. You must believe this.
Open your eyes. How do you feel? Is there a tightening in your chest? Are your fists clenched? Are you ready to throw me out?
Rest easy. This is not what I believe. But in the Ignatian tradition, immerse yourself in the situation and try to imagine how the Jews felt when Jesus came around saying, “I am the Messiah, the one who was prophesied in the teachings of Moses. Oh, and here are the rules, all changed. Yes, there is one God, but in three parts. I’m here to explain that to you.” To the disciples he said, “After I leave you, you will carry this word across the world. This will not be an easy task. Some people will believe in me; some will not. Passions will be high. There will be fighting and war as a result of this teaching. Families, friends and communities will be divided and will argue with one another.”
Remember the feeling you had when I said all your beliefs were wrong? What would it take to change your mind? Imagine Jesus and His disciples taking on this mantle. They are preaching the fruit of the Spirit and causing division.
“I am here not to bring peace, but division.” In this passage, Jesus gives an example of a family of five being divided: three against two and two against three. There is a mother (who is also the mother-in-law of the son’s wife), father, son, daughter and daughter-in-law.
In my interpretation, five is significant because there won’t be an even split. The division will be between the parents (authority, status quo) and the children. We can imagine that the children will resist the status quo. They will opt for change, and we all know that change is difficult. The active choice to follow Christ is a choice to resist the existing authority. Authority of the day needs to be changed, as is often the case. Carried further, when the disciples take this word to the world, there will be division.
I think we all believe we find Christ’s presence in turmoil and conflict. Given that, it’s really not so strange that Jesus says he brings not peace but division.
In reaction to demoralizing and atrocious current events, I ask myself: How do we follow Christ with all the devastating division in the world? What does it mean to follow Christ today? What on earth difference will it make if I follow Christ?
A deep chord in my personal Christian ethos is to look for the face of Christ in others and to let others see the face of Christ in me. I believe with all my heart that we affect the reactions of those around us. When I am showing the face of Christ to others, I see the face of Christ in them. I can hope that will have at least a temporary effect, and that the next person they encounter will see the face of Christ in them, and they will pass it forward, kind of like a chain letter. So I’m doing my bit to make the world just a little better, one day at a time.
Do we see Christ in today’s turmoil and conflict? Do we pray for everyone, regardless of their beliefs and actions? Do we live in the Spirit and also walk in the Spirit, per Galatians 5:22? I say, “With God’s help, we will.”
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