***
Gospel: Matthew 10:34 – 11:1
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
“I have come to bring not peace, but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother.”
This does not sound like the jovial Jesus so many of us adore. So, what does Jesus mean by such harsh, divisive words?
***
Practicing Jews would’ve understood. The Old Testament is filled with prophesies about the coming of the Lord.
Two of them reference bringing, “not peace, but the sword,” and, “setting a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother.” When these things happen, the kingdom of God is at hand.
God’s presence on earth would bring a period of judgment and division, splitting families. Not because God seeks to divide, but because people respond to faith differently.
That’s a tension every family experiences.
***
Often in ministry, I encounter grandparents concerned about the baptism – not of their children, but their grandchildren. The faith which they tried handing on from one generation to the next has been weakened over time for one reason or another. That causes division!
Or couples who marry. I’ve spoken with many spouses concerned about faith. One feels God is moving deeper into their heart, while the other is increasingly distant from God. That threatens the intimacy of the couple.
Or young people who want to do something beautiful for God. In my case, being ordained a priest. My vocation wasn’t accepted by all.
***
“I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother.”
While these seem to be difficult words from our Lord, Jesus is not seeking to divide families. But he is pointing out the sad truth that people respond to faith differently. Some with joy and surrender, others with indifference, even rejection.
Perhaps today we can pray for all families experiencing this tension of belief. May the Lord, who alone grants the gift of faith, transform doubt into faith. Doing so will bring not the sword, but unity, peace, and above all, salvation.
***
***
Image credits: (1) Regnum Christi (2) ConnectUs (3) A Knight’s Blog, Sword: Word of God