Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Luke 12,49-53

Jesus’ words are true today, “I have come to cast fire on the earth; and what do I want? Only that it may already be burning” (Luke 12:49)!

Fire in the Old and New Testament also symbolizes God’s judgment. The Spirit of God is the fire in which everything is tested and purified and consummated in purity. When Jesus speaks of fire, He is not speaking against attending a campfire where wood is burned and bacon is roasted. Jesus’ fire brings redemption to the earth. That is why Jesus speaks of his suffering as baptism. Christ shed his blood many times in redeeming the world. He sweated blood in Gethsemane, was scourged, crowned with thorns, lost much blood on the way of the cross, and especially in the crucifixion. In baptism we are washed with water and this is the beginning of new life for us. Jesus speaks of this: “By baptism I am to be baptized, and how anxious I am until it is done” (Lk. 12:50)! Jesus knows what will follow after his death. He knows the significance for all people of the shedding of his blood. Jesus loves people so much that he desires to shed his blood to redeem and save people.
The gospel disrupts man’s paradise on earth. For sin, man was banished from paradise. The only way to paradise is through the blood of Christ shed for love of men. Jesus does not promise the faithful paradise on earth.
After the sending of the Holy Spirit, Christians believe that heaven is conquered by violence, and only the violent take it. Fight against sin. “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that besets us and run with endurance the race that is set before us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith” (Heb 12:1-2: second reading). Who has fought to the shedding of his blood? Christ, Jesus, the Teacher, the true Peace.
When Jesus puts strict criteria on His own, He is not exaggerating yet. Faith asks the Christian to take Jesus’ words seriously. Even when the teachings of Christ become the cause of division, division… Good and evil, truth and falsehood, love and hate are irreconcilably opposed. Whoever would want to unite them would try to unite fire and water! In the same way, in the teachings of Christ there is no golden mean for those who believe the words of Christ. Black is always black and white is always white. In other words, let your speech be “yes-yes”, “no-no”. Jesus strongly urges against comfortable, seemingly conciliatory division. One must do so in order to see what is a fish and what is a crayfish, and to bear and feel responsibility for clear decisions. One cannot be with Jesus and against him at the same time.
The Jews thought of the Messiah as a conquering king who would defeat enemies and establish peace. Therefore, the words of sword and fire from the mouth of Jesus “the Prince of Peace” cannot be overlooked. It is not enough for the Jews to be saved that they are Jews, therefore it is not enough for Christians to be baptized Christians. Faith must be taken responsibly, seriously.
The teachings of Christ are divisive: who will accept them and who will despise them. This division affects families, nations. Spirits will always be sorted around the person of Christ. Christ demands of his own absolute fidelity before everything and everyone. As St. Paul writes, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8).

The word “peace” is understood differently, broadly, that is, incorrectly, by many, although it has become a modern word. It is not merely the changing of swords into plowshares and spears into vine-knives, “that nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” ( Isa. 2:4). Jesus desires security, justice, prosperity,… but when he says at the Last Supper: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. But I do not give to you as the world gives” (Jn 14:27), he is clearly speaking of true peace, not false. Christ’s peace is not quite the same as what the world calls peace. Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that there will be no wars, but it promises that there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” (cf. Rev. 21:1n). Even though the Old Testament mentions the Messiah in that context. On the contrary, Jesus often speaks of wars, unrest. Christ teaches peace as conformity to the will of God. Jesus not only promises this peace, but also gives it. This peace comes from the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. When we ask the Lamb of God to “grant us peace,” we are asking that we belong to God and to ourselves, that He may renew in our hearts the gift of true peace. We can have this peace in our hearts even when war, both material and spiritual, is raging in our neighborhood. And no one can snatch this peace from us unless we give our consent.
Jesus never renounced his title “Prince of Peace” (cf. Isa. 9:5). Jesus was clear about keeping the Decalogue (cf. Mt. 5:21-48). He taught to love even our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us… We are to establish a true and best relationship of peace, first in our hearts and then among ourselves. Jesus never wants disagreements between people, for He asked the Father “that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us” (Jn 17:21).
The sorting of the spirits around the peace of Christ is still today. The attitude toward Christ divides: three against two, father against son, mother against daughter, bride against mother-in-law. People even today for a bowl of lentils betray. For convenience’s sake they forget. Sin makes them blind, deaf, dumb, lame. Faithfulness and betrayal stand against each other.

Christianity is a very demanding religion. It breeds heroes, but only of those who are willing to stake everything on fidelity to Christ, and fidelity is dearly paid for. The Christian must take a clear stand between faith and unbelief, between hope in God and hope in what the world has to offer. Even then, the true Christian does not cease to love and to show love in deed and word to those who judge, condemn, persecute, and murder him because of his genuine and uncompromising stand for the truth.

Christianity has more than 16 million martyrs and even more bloodless and confessing martyrs. Not only from the early Church, during the persecutions of Nero, Diocletian, but also from the 1930’s during the persecutions in Spain, Mexico. From the times of communism, Nazism, we have equally role models, heroes, saints for Christ, his teachings, his truth. Agnes of Rome, Prisca, as well as Maria Goretti and other young girls stood fearlessly against their murderers.

Love and evil will stand against each other until the end of time. Evil will not triumph over good in the end at the second coming of Christ to earth. Faithfulness to Christ brings new life. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of new confessors. Truth will prevail. The false peace will be destroyed. Let us respond with our courage.

Jesus’ words are true today, “I have come to cast fire on the earth; and what do I want? Only that it may already be burning” (Luke 12:49)!

Fire in the Old and New Testament also symbolizes God’s judgment. The Spirit of God is the fire in which everything is tested and purified and consummated in purity. When Jesus speaks of fire, He is not speaking against attending a campfire where wood is burned and bacon is roasted. Jesus’ fire brings redemption to the earth. That is why Jesus speaks of his suffering as baptism. Christ shed his blood many times in redeeming the world. He sweated blood in Gethsemane, was scourged, crowned with thorns, lost much blood on the way of the cross, and especially in the crucifixion. In baptism we are washed with water and this is the beginning of new life for us. Jesus speaks of this: “By baptism I am to be baptized, and how anxious I am until it is done” (Lk. 12:50)! Jesus knows what will follow after his death. He knows the significance for all people of the shedding of his blood. Jesus loves people so much that he desires to shed his blood to redeem and save people.
The gospel disrupts man’s paradise on earth. For sin, man was banished from paradise. The only way to paradise is through the blood of Christ shed for love of men. Jesus does not promise the faithful paradise on earth.
After the sending of the Holy Spirit, Christians believe that heaven is conquered by violence, and only the violent take it. Fight against sin. “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that besets us and run with endurance the race that is set before us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith” (Heb 12:1-2: second reading). Who has fought to the shedding of his blood? Christ, Jesus, the Teacher, the true Peace.
When Jesus puts strict criteria on His own, He is not exaggerating yet. Faith asks the Christian to take Jesus’ words seriously. Even when the teachings of Christ become the cause of division, division… Good and evil, truth and falsehood, love and hate are irreconcilably opposed. Whoever would want to unite them would try to unite fire and water! In the same way, in the teachings of Christ there is no golden mean for those who believe the words of Christ. Black is always black and white is always white. In other words, let your speech be “yes-yes”, “no-no”. Jesus strongly urges against comfortable, seemingly conciliatory division. One must do so in order to see what is a fish and what is a crayfish, and to bear and feel responsibility for clear decisions. One cannot be with Jesus and against him at the same time.
The Jews thought of the Messiah as a conquering king who would defeat enemies and establish peace. Therefore, the words of sword and fire from the mouth of Jesus “the Prince of Peace” cannot be overlooked. It is not enough for the Jews to be saved that they are Jews, therefore it is not enough for Christians to be baptized Christians. Faith must be taken responsibly, seriously.
The teachings of Christ are divisive: who will accept them and who will despise them. This division affects families, nations. Spirits will always be sorted around the person of Christ. Christ demands of his own absolute fidelity before everything and everyone. As St. Paul writes, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8).

The word “peace” is understood differently, broadly, that is, incorrectly, by many, although it has become a modern word. It is not merely the changing of swords into plowshares and spears into vine-knives, “that nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” ( Isa. 2:4). Jesus desires security, justice, prosperity,… but when he says at the Last Supper: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. But I do not give to you as the world gives” (Jn 14:27), he is clearly speaking of true peace, not false. Christ’s peace is not quite the same as what the world calls peace. Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that there will be no wars, but it promises that there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” (cf. Rev. 21:1n). Even though the Old Testament mentions the Messiah in that context. On the contrary, Jesus often speaks of wars, unrest. Christ teaches peace as conformity to the will of God. Jesus not only promises this peace, but also gives it. This peace comes from the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. When we ask the Lamb of God to “grant us peace,” we are asking that we belong to God and to ourselves, that He may renew in our hearts the gift of true peace. We can have this peace in our hearts even when war, both material and spiritual, is raging in our neighborhood. And no one can snatch this peace from us unless we give our consent.
Jesus never renounced his title “Prince of Peace” (cf. Isa. 9:5). Jesus was clear about keeping the Decalogue (cf. Mt. 5:21-48). He taught to love even our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us… We are to establish a true and best relationship of peace, first in our hearts and then among ourselves. Jesus never wants disagreements between people, for He asked the Father “that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us” (Jn 17:21).
The sorting of the spirits around the peace of Christ is still today. The attitude toward Christ divides: three against two, father against son, mother against daughter, bride against mother-in-law. People even today for a bowl of lentils betray. For convenience’s sake they forget. Sin makes them blind, deaf, dumb, lame. Faithfulness and betrayal stand against each other.

Christianity is a very demanding religion. It breeds heroes, but only of those who are willing to stake everything on fidelity to Christ, and fidelity is dearly paid for. The Christian must take a clear stand between faith and unbelief, between hope in God and hope in what the world has to offer. Even then, the true Christian does not cease to love and to show love in deed and word to those who judge, condemn, persecute, and murder him because of his genuine and uncompromising stand for the truth.

Christianity has more than 16 million martyrs and even more bloodless and confessing martyrs. Not only from the early Church, during the persecutions of Nero, Diocletian, but also from the 1930’s during the persecutions in Spain, Mexico. From the times of communism, Nazism, we have equally role models, heroes, saints for Christ, his teachings, his truth. Agnes of Rome, Prisca, as well as Maria Goretti and other young girls stood fearlessly against their murderers.

Love and evil will stand against each other until the end of time. Evil will not triumph over good in the end at the second coming of Christ to earth. Faithfulness to Christ brings new life. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of new confessors. Truth will prevail. The false peace will be destroyed. Let us respond with our courage.