20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
My dear parishioners,
God is Good!!! All the time!!! And all the time!!! God is Good!!!
The tone of Jesus in Lk’s Gospel is mostly gentle, forgiving, and encouraging. In this passage, however,
Jesus challenges his hearers with words that will bring division and animosity. Similar chastisement can be found in Micah 7:6. Also, the words of Simeon to Mary (Lk 2:34–35) must be kept in mind. “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted . . . .”
Arriving at authenticity. Jesus proclaims that he has come to set the earth on fire. This blazing fire must be understood metaphorically. He is speaking of his purifying word. In order for fire to actually purify, it has to be exceedingly hot. Impurities must be separated from the molten metal. The Word of God will separate the real from the phony. The Gospel is about authenticity, and Jesus will not compromise it. There is no easy way for this to happen, and Jesus makes no attempt to tone it down.
A radical challenge. Jesus has a sense of overwhelming dread about the challenges he faces. He captures this sense with the word, “baptism.” He is not referring to a ritual baptism of initiation. Rather, it brings to mind the reference to Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire (Lk 3:16). The Gospel is not a feelgood, pious devotional message. It is a radical challenge to authentic discipleship.
Deepest possible divisions. Much of what Jesus preaches is about peace, wholeness, completeness. But that comes with much courage and grace. Jesus did not come to establish a cheap peace. Certainly he does not advocate peace at any cost, especially when that cost would compromise the Gospel. The divisions that will result from the challenges presented by Jesus will be deep and personal. There will be nothing abstract about them.
Family households will be divided. Blood relatives will be split apart so that fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, and other relationships down the line will be torn apart. In a culture where the family unit was the most important component of all human living, such division was unthinkable. To shatter the family was to destroy life as it had been known and loved. Jesus was well aware of all this. Purification and transformation do not come easily or without pain, but they lead to life eternal.
Excerpts from “Sunday Homily Helps”, is used by permission of Franciscan Media. www.FranciscanMedia.org. All rights reserved
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Aloysius