Sunday Gospel Reflection
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 12:49-53 | August 14, 2022
The Cause of Division
Josie Gonzales
“I came to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism to receive, and how distressed I am until it is over! Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the world? No, not peace, but division. From now on a family of five will be divided, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12:49-52)
It seems odd that the only begotten Son of the Almighty Father, sent to free man from the bondage of sin, would take on His human form to be with us but cause division, disunity, conflict, and disagreement. At first glance, we may be tempted to think: why would the Lord, who is all goodness and love, do that? Hindi ba ang Panginoong Hesus ang Prince of Peace? Ang nagturo sa atin magdasal, magpatawad, magpakumbaba, magmahal? Didn’t He come to teach us about mercy and compassion? How to find peace in our hearts and minds?
He is the Divine Healer and the Great Peacemaker.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.”
Where, then, is division, discord, and conflict in today’s Gospel coming from?
Let’s think about this.
Divisiveness, conflict, betrayal are not unique to the time of Jesus nor to the present day. Stories about Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath, David and Bathsheba, Moses, Noah and the Flood, Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve, Daniel, King Solomon and the two mothers, Joseph and his brothers and many, many more stories of conflict are in the Bible.
God’s love for us has no bounds so much so that His greatest gift to humanity is our free will—the freedom to make our own choices, whether right or wrong.
Sadly, our first parents and others after them, made choices based on their own wisdom and not God’s. And so it was that discord and betrayal and hatred, envy and jealousy and selfish ambition came about.
There will always be choices in life and we see this from the time of Genesis up to this generation. We may choose to enjoy the things of this world — opulence, power, influence, wealth, luxury, high end brands and lavish living. We may also choose to take the spiritual path instead to gain the Lord’s heavenly favor by sharing and caring, loving and reaching out, feeding the hungry, and giving until it hurts.
Whichever way we go, whichever way we take, whichever way we follow, there will always be consequences and the day of reckoning is not far behind.
Let’s take it from the Bible, let’s listen to the Word of God about severe consequences and punishment if we go the wrong way.
Ang materyal na mundo ay panandaliang kasiyahan. Minsan masaya, minsan malungkot. Minsan buo ang pamilya, minsan nagkakawatak-watak dala ng pagkakaiba-iba sa maraming bagay. The recent presidential election is a classic example of polarization in people caused by split opinions and hate campaigns.
On a bigger scale, let’s take a look at the world scenario—powerful countries fighting each other to stay on top, oil-rich countries controlling supply and price of oil, thus negatively impacting the world economy, unmindful if the rest of the world suffers. There is religion versus religion, believers and non-believers like the Jews and the Gentiles, the race to get to the stars and do commercial flights to outer space, vaccines versus viruses, food production and supply versus food shortage, control over international waters.
There is such greed to conquer and amass wealth, never mind if the weaker ones are left behind.
No wonder the world is so divided.
But, where is God in all this?
Jesus said that he will cause division as the Gospel reading tells us. But, remember that ‘man proposes and God disposes’.
I, too, suffer the consequences of disagreements and conflicts in my own small world of family and friends, neighbors and co-workers. We are all part of this way of life because we make choices that displease God. We forget that we live in the physical for one purpose alone and that is to enjoy eternal happiness in His kingdom. And the only way to go is by loving, trusting, and believing in the Almighty in this life.
Ibinigay ng Diyos Ama si Hesus para magising tayo sa katotohanan na makasalanan tayo, magsisi at mamuhay ng matuwid. At sa pangako ni Kristo, nasa ating buhay ang Banal na Espiritu para gabayan tayong makamit ang buhay na walang hanggan.
God gave us everything. Let’s give back everything. It is our only saving grace.
A blessed Sunday always!
