Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Do you think I have come to bring peace? No, I tell you, bur rather division.” Division, violence, and wars remain the uppermost concern in the minds of many of us. Terrorism is sweeping the globe. There is not one country that can rest secure. In our own country, political discourse is bordering the extreme. Racial violence has claimed many lives. Fear is crippling our normal lives. As if this were not enough, we come to church and we hear Jesus saying, “Do you think I have come to bring peace? No, I tell you, bur rather division.” I have read this passage many times. I even know how to interpret it correctly. Yet, when I read it at face value, my heart sank a little. And then we have the words, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing.” What shall we do with Jesus’ words?
Sometimes the best way to interpret scripture is to understand the context within which the gospel passage was composed. Luke’s Gospel was written after 70 AD. Using this historical date let us try to understand today’s gospel reading.
1. “I Have Come to Set the Earth on Fire.” What does it mean when Jesus says, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” The year 70 AD remains a watershed year in Judeo-Christian history. This was the year that the Romans destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem. When Luke wrote the gospel, all worship and sacrifice had ceased. Luke was convinced that the destruction of the Temple was a natural progression of salvation history. With Christ’s once-and-for-all sacrifice on the cross, there was no need for Temple sacrifices. Jesus was the Lamb of God. Perhaps Luke wishes that the movement that Jesus began would spread like wild fire in the rest of the world. This fire had begun at Pentecost and it was time for the world to be on fire with Christ’s presence.
2. “Do You think I have come to bring peace?” These words have to do with another historical reality - Christian persecution. By the time the Temple was destroyed, many Christians had already fled Jerusalem. IN 70 AD, when the Romans laid siege over Jerusalem, the Jews expected the remaining Christians to take arms against the Romans. To their dismay, the Christians remained uninvolved. As a result, after 70 AD, the Christians were not permitted in the Jewish synagogues. Luke’s words also point the rift created between families members because of some people’s choice to follow Christianity. Because Christian beliefs put believers in direct opposition to Roman practices, if family members became Christian, it split the family apart. In the strangest way, Christ became the cause of division. Hence, Luke’s words, “I have come to cause division.”
3. What about Now? That brings us to the question: If Luke was writing the story of Jesus today, how would he tell the same story? What is the context within which we live? What would the message of Jesus be? The context we live in is not very different than Luke’s world. Because we live in a turmoiled world, it is important for us as Christ’s followers to know, live, and bring the peace of Jesus. How can we do that? The answer to this question is the theme of the coming parish retreat on Sept 10th.
After much discussion at staff meeting, Parish Pastoral Council Meetings, and Ite Missa Est meetings, we have come to the conclusion that Christ is calling us to “PEACE.” Our theme for the coming year is going to be, “Disciples: Sacraments of Peace.” The focus of this day will be on three things: a) The Biblical understanding of Peace; b) How can the peace that Jesus offers to his disciples be personally ours today? Is it possible to be in peace in today’s world? and c) How do I bring Christ’s peace to our family, society, and world that is so torn apart by discord, violence and war? In other words, what does it mean for disciples of Jesus to be “sacraments” of peace and how can we live sacramentally in this way. Dr. Kelly Johnson from the University of Dayton will be our main speaker. She will be supported by Spencer Hargadon and I.
I believe that in this election year and at time when violence has shaken the very foundations of our society and world, peace is the very gift that we must reflect on. I strongly urge you to mark your calendar and plan to attend the retreat.
The Eucharist is sacrament of peace. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” And then we exchange the sign of peace. May the peace of Christ reign in our hearts today.
-- Fr. Satish Joseph