Gospel Reflection Aug 17 – Fr. Jason Fox
Sunday, August 17
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 12: 49-53
Gospel:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Gospel Reflection:
Jesus speaks to us this Sunday of the division he will cause in our families. He speaks of setting the world on fire and how he wishes it were already ablaze. This doesn’t seem to be the words of the one who is meant to bring peace to humanity. We can be left perplexed because our families mean so much to us, and the thought of being divided against them can elicit feelings of dread and fear.
When we examine the role of God in our lives, it is helpful to remember an ancient Jewish prayer called the Shema, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” These words which I enjoin on you today are to be on your heart. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home or abroad, whether you are busy or at rest.
This is the basis of faith for the Jewish religion, and since Jesus was Jewish and we follow Jesus in all He does, we too are to love the Lord with all our hearts with as much zeal as Christ loved His Father! It is not an easy command to follow. Our flesh, the world, and the devil are all trying to distract us from this goal. We must fight to persevere in the faith!
Not all people in our lives will share this conviction, but we are responsible for living it out to the best of our ability. When someone we meet along the way in our life journey, or someone close to us, such as a family member, doesn’t observe it as diligently as they should, it will cause distress. It will divide us. We can never make the love of God secondary. God should always come first.
The fire Jesus is speaking about is the fire of the Holy Spirit. From the time the Apostles and their disciples formed the new Church, the passing on of the Holy Spirit and our faith spread worldwide, catching wind and gaining momentum. No place in the world is entirely devoid of a Christian presence. Sometimes Christianity is persecuted by the general population, but those who live Christian lives despite the hazards it may bring are examples to us of how we should be living our faith.
Jesus is telling us here to hold to the faith, regardless of those who may not share our convictions. Make God the first and foremost source from which you draw life and strength, and with the God who created all things, you will never be led astray.
Fr. Jason Fox