Reflection for 10/26/17

Today’s Gospel might cause some of us pause at first glance.  Why would Jesus come to bring division and the sword?  I thought he came to bring unity and peace?  Unfortunately, we have come to see Christianity in a stripped down form in today’s world.  We are not faced with much to choose between.  If we believe in Christ, then we live our lives accordingly and most people leave us alone.  “To each his own,” has become a common mantra of our day.  But in Jesus’ time, to believe in Christ meant almost certain death.

 

Christianity was not a “feel good” religion.  Christianity meant that one had to make a very real and difficult choice if he or she decided to follow Christ because the Jewish authorities were persecuting Christians and the Romans were putting Christians to death.  When one made a choice to follow Christ, he or she had to forsake all else, including life itself, for the sake of our Lord.

 

So when Jesus says, “I have not come to bring peace, but division,” we can understand that he is not speaking figuratively.  Often in the days of our Lord and the Apostles, families were torn apart over the question of religion.  As Christianity grew, more and more people were forsaking mother and father for Christ.  

 

Does this mean that since we are living in such a laid backing society that the question of who we follow is any less demanding?  Not at all.   We have to be willing to give all up for Jesus Christ.  Although we may not be persecuted for it here in the US, in some countries Christians are still being put to death over their beliefs.  What if that persecution were to find it’s way across our borders?  Would we be willing to lay down our lives for the Lord?  Let us begin to examine our belief in the Lord, and if we are holding anything back from him, let us ask him to help us offer it to him.  “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”  May we begin to burn with desire to serve the Lord.