Readings: Ephesians 3:14-21, Ps. 33:1-2,4-5,11-12,18-19, Luke 12:49-53
“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12:51-52)
As we read today’s Gospel passage, one might be confused about what Jesus meant when he said he had come to cast fire on the earth and bring division rather than peace.
In John 14:27, Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; the peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Can peace and division exist simultaneously? If a house is divided, three against two, how can they enjoy supernatural peace?
For us to understand the division Jesus is referring to, let us return to what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; you should lose one of your members rather than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; you should lose one of your members rather than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matthew 5:29-30).
The division Jesus brings is not division by hatred, malice, unforgiveness, or quarrels between family members. Rather, Jesus is talking about the division of light from darkness. Just as we must “cut off” our eyes, hands, or legs to avoid sin, Jesus wants us to separate ourselves from whoever is bent on leading us to sin.
Certain persons will suddenly withdraw from you when you are passionate about God and live according to his precepts. You automatically become an enemy to your friends who prefer darkness to light. Today, many Christians experience stunted spiritual growth (find it difficult to obey God’s commandments) because they are trapped in unhealthy relationships.
Some people have been disowned by their family members for choosing to become Christians. Some had to flee for their lives because their family members sentenced them to death. A lady once shared how she was driven from home because she refused to obey her mother’s instruction to go into prostitution. I know of persons who ended their relationships after deciding to take their Christian faith seriously. To enjoy Christ’s peace, you cannot be at peace with the world; you cannot be friends with everybody.
The peace Christ brings is not the same as the world’s. When you cut off everybody (and everything) that causes you to sin, you will certainly not be at peace with the world, but you will experience Christ’s peace. Peace with the world may require you to compromise your values, but peace with Christ means a clean conscience; it means the freedom to do what is right; it means being able to say “yes” to God without the burden of indebtedness to human obligations.
Guess what? The peace of Christ is like a river, while the peace of the world is like a cup of water. Jesus made this analogy while speaking to the woman at the well. John 4:13-14: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Do you want to enjoy true peace? Get ready to embrace the dividing fire of Christ. Get ready to be hated and rejected by so-called friends who are nothing more than partners in crime. Prepare to be hated even by family members who would rather you indulge in evil. Get ready to end that relationship that promises excitement but leaves you spiritually and even physically empty.
Peace with Christ is something nothing in this world can give. That is the joy that St. Paul is referring to in today’s first reading: “I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” (Ephesians 3:16-17)
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty with a sincere heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Thursday of week 29 in Ordinary Time. Liturgical Colour: Green. Bible Study: Ephesians 3:14-21, Ps. 33:1-2,4-5,11-12,18-19, Luke 12:49-53)
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu