Years ago, I heard a Jesuit mention in his homily that when he visited the headquarters of the Society of Jesus in Rome, he saw a life-size statue of Jesus with the Sacred Heart in an alcove. Under the statue was inscribed a verse from the Gospel Reading for this Sunday: "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" (Luke 12:49) The priest said that he didn't know if it was an oversight or someone's idea of a bad joke, but right next to the alcove, someone had placed a fire extinguisher.
The priest went on to say that the unfortunate juxtaposition was a good illustration of what we tend to do with the Gospel. We have the powerful message of Christ, which is meant to fundamentally transform all of society, reshaping human life entirely. But we tend to domesticate the Gospel message, robbing it of its power, making sure that the message does not disturb our comfort too much. But the Gospel message is meant to upend everything in our lives, to transform our perspective on everything and reorder all of our interactions in life. The Gospel of Christ is not to be a simple veneer on an otherwise earthly life, but a force that transforms us from within.
But what does Jesus mean that he has come to bring not peace but division upon the earth? Does that mean that we are to be divisive and combative as we live out our Christian calling? No, Jesus is not calling us to create division intentionally. Jesus is calling us to live out our lives according to his teachings so as to receive his infinite love in our lives, for all eternity.
However, living out the Gospel message will put as at odds with others. Christ is the light shining in the darkness of the world. While some rejoice at the coming of the light and are eager to embrace it, others hate the light and oppose its message of love. Those who hate the light will hate us for seeking to live our lives according to the light. That is where the division comes from - the reaction of the world to our following Christ.
Christ is God Himself, who created the world out of love for us, to share his love with us. When humanity went astray, he did not leave us alone to our self-destructive behavior but became one of us to redeem us from sin through his sacrifice upon the Cross. Christ is our healing and fulfillment, our only source of peace and true joy. Christ is the answer to life's deepest questions. Following Christ cannot be just a side pursuit. Christ must become central to our lives, the organizing principle of our entire existence. We must put Christ above everyone and everything in life.
As much as we are called to love our families, we cannot conform to our family members if that would mean going against Christ. The same is true for our country. Patriotism is a virtue, but following Christ is an even higher calling, if the two ever came into conflict somehow. We should also be careful that our view of politics is filtered through Christ, not the other way around. Many people belong to a party first and then claim the title of Christian, which leads to their theology being shaped by their politics. But if we want to follow Christ fully, we need to let his teachings shape our political views, even if that were to put as at odds with views of others. Christ must be first, last, and always in our lives.
Putting Christ in the center will also entail speaking the truth to the world, even when the culture around us does not want to hear our words. Society does not want us to speak about God's vision for the human person or about the inherent dignity of the unborn or those whom the world would want to dispose of through assisted suicide. Living according to the teachings of Christ and speaking the truth of Christ will often lead to a price we must pay. We are not to be enemies of the people around us, but following Christ will almost certainly cause us to have enemies bent on attacking us. Society will punish us both in small and significant ways. We might even face the ultimate cost of discipleship - martyrdom.
People today tend to think of Christian martyrdom as a long-ago thing, something that happened in the Roman times, when the emperors threw Christians to the lions. But martyrdom is very much a contemporary reality. More Christians are being martyred today than ever before. In the Middle East and in parts of Africa, Christians are being murdered daily for their faith. In parts of Nigeria, Muslim militants routinely kidnap and kill priests and attack Catholic churches, indiscriminately butchering the faithful. Many Nigerians practice their faith with the knowledge that when they leave home to go to church, they might never return. And yet the faithful fill the churches for Mass.
We too must face the cost of discipleship, whether small or great, whether just an inconvenience or the ultimate price. We must be ready to suffer for and even die for Christ. Because Christ is the ultimate answer, the reason for our lives and the only fulfillment of our existence.
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The readings for the sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C, are:
Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Psalm 40:2, 3, 4, 18
Hebrews 12:1-4
Luke 12:49-53
The full text can be found at the USCCB website.
Photo Credit: Altar of the church of Libyan Martyrs in Minya from Wikimedia Commons.
The Libyan Martyrs are 21 Coptic Christians who were beheaded by ISIS in 2015. They are recognized as martyrs both by the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. For more information, please see: The mysterious saint: Who is the 21st Coptic martyr now recognized by the Vatican?