Bible
Study: Jeremiah 38, 4 to 10. Hebrews 12, 1 to 4. Luke 12, 49 to 53.
Jesus’
words in our Gospel passage this morning are quite shocking. “I came to cast
fire upon the earth… Do you think I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell
you, but rather division.” It is shocking because it totally contradicts what
Jesus himself said in John chapter 14, verse 27, “Peace I leave with you; my
peace I give to you.”
So why is
Jesus talking about division instead of peace? To really understand what Jesus
is saying, it is important that we find out the context by reading through the preceding
verses. This way, we would get to know what led to this statement of Jesus. This
would take us back to our Gospel passage three Sundays ago wherein a man from
the crowd said to Jesus: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family
inheritance with me.”
In other
words, what we hear Jesus say in our Gospel passage this morning is part of his
response to this man. First Jesus began by rebuking him for making such a
request. “Friend, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then, Jesus
decided to use the occasion to teach the crowd about avarice and wealth. He gave
the example of the rich fool who laid up treasures for himself and was not rich
towards God. Jesus then taught us to be completely dependent on God and not
worry about what we are to eat or wear. Last Sunday, Jesus told us to even sell
our possessions and give alms that by so doing, we would be storing treasures
for ourselves in heaven where no moth can destroy and no thief break in and
steal.
Today,
Jesus is concluding his response to this man and at the same time teaching the
crowd not to allow family ties become obstacles on their way to salvation. So when
he speaks of not bringing peace, Jesus is saying to this man that he should
simply let go of his share of his father’s wealth as well as the possibility of
reconciling with his brother. To put it in a clearer way, Jesus is saying that finding
peace with his brother because of property is not as important as living up to
the demands of our Christian calling.
Should it
happen that we lose our wealth or even our friendship with family members for
the sake of our Christian faith, we should not be so bothered. What is most
important is that we are saved. The Gospel is Good News yet this Good News is
one that places certain demands on its hearers. The primary purpose of the
Gospel is not for family members to be united but for the Christian to get to
heaven. So if one’s family members do not key in to what the Gospel demands,
should it so happen that one has to choose between obeying family members or
obeying God, then, God must come first.
Our second
reading today throws further light on this issue when it says, “Let us lay
aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with
perseverance the race that is set before us.” Whether we like it or not, our
biggest temptations often come from our family members, we live with them and
we see them every day; we are more likely to take their advice than those of
strangers; our natural love for them can actually become a weight that clings
to us.
If we
really want to serve God, we must lay aside that weight and remove ourselves
from an environment that constantly leads us to sin. If I find myself in a
situation where my parents or my siblings order me to sin against God, I must
remember that my obedience to them does not supersede my obedience to God. We
are to honour our father and mother but so long as it is not sin. St. Paul
says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord.” Ephesians 6, 1.
Now, one
clear example of how the Gospel can cause division between family members is
what we find during burials in this part of the world. Over the years, we
Africans have had certain traditions and customs that reflect our belief in
life after death as well as our understanding of what proper burial is all
about. Some of this traditional burial rites are so tied with our African
Traditional Religion that apart from being merely customary practices, they
constitute in themselves the worship of other gods. For instance, asking a
woman to drink the water used in bathing the dead body of her husband as a way
of proving her innocence over the death of her husband and appearing before a
shrine to swear is to say the least barbaric. It gives no credit to God as the
author of life who alone has the power to take life whenever he so pleases. There
are so many other things people do in the name of burial that are completely
against the Christian faith. As children of God, we should not mind cutting
ourselves off from family members should it happen that unity would mean
partaking in the worship of other gods.
It is even
more painful when persecution comes from family members themselves. The very
people who should love you become your enemies and begin to plot your death
because you are a person of truth or because your lifestyle reflects the light
of God. This is what happens to Jeremiah in our first reading this morning. But
just as God used Ebedmelech to speak on behalf of Jeremiah, God will surely
come to our rescue when we have to suffer for the sake our faith.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, may your fire burn from me
any impurities, any weight or sin that is clinging to me as I strive to put you
first in everything I do. Amen.
Good morning. Be Happy. Live
Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. Happy Sunday.
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