Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jer 38: 4 – 6, 8 – 10 / Ps
40 / Heb 12: 1 – 4 / Luke 12: 49 – 53
We do not like to be divided. We would
rather opt for the whole rather than its parts.
Those who love to eat would like a whole
chicken than just a drumstick. Those who are into relationships, katong naay
mga uyab o mga minyo ba kaha, do not like a partner who has a divided heart.
Ka-alkanse nimo no, minahal mo siya ng buong buo pero may mahal pala siyang iba
(those who either have sweethearts or married, they do not like partners who
have divided hearts; it seem unfair when you loved them completely, and yet,
they have their attention one someone else). Now, if you find these to be true,
then indeed you will agree with me that we do not like divisions. The whole is
always better than its parts.
The prophet Isaiah once proclaimed, “for to
us a child is born, a son is given to us, and he shall be called Prince of
Peace.” However, the contrary seems to happen in our Gospel today. This Prince
of Peace claims that he has not come to establish peace on earth but
division. And so, we ask, “Is Jesus
really the Prince of Peace or the Lord of Division?”
My dear friends, in the course of His
ministry, Jesus created many divisions because of his words and works. That
woman who was due for stoning because of adultery, Jesus reacted with: “If
anyone of you has not sin, let him cast the first stone on her.” Jesus’ words
did not match the people’s words. Or in the case of the paralyzed man at the
pool of Bethesda, Jesus cured him even if it was a Sabbath. Again, Jesus’ works
did not match people’s works.
If we truly live out the demands of
Christian discipleship, we will see that our words and works will surely run
contrary to the words and works of the world today. For instance, we are called
to choose life, to defend life from birth to death and yet our leaders advocate
the return of death penalty. It is sad and this disparity create divisions.
My dear friends, our challenge is not about
avoiding divisions because we never cannot run away from divisions. Because of
our differences, then, divisions will always be there. Only in heaven will
there be no division because we are all fixed on God Almighty.
Our challenge therefore this Sunday is that
we choose God. We choose our Lord Jesus Christ. How? By attuning our words and works
to the words and works of Jesus. And how do we attune ourselves to Jesus? By
following what our second reading is telling us that is to rid ourselves from
every sin. I hope we choose Christ! I hope we choose God no matter what happens
to us.
I once met a mother who shared with me her
story. She was a battered wife. She is aware that her husband has another
partner. And so, she has to transfer to another residence. She was left to
taking care of her three children. Working hard as a labandera, she managed to
send all her children to school. However, her life has been filled with many
unfortunate events. Her eldest, after graduation, got impregnated; her second
daughter, after finding a job, left home. In the meantime, her third daughter
was a special child. And so, aside from washing clothes, she also has to attend
to the needs of her special child. One day, she was informed that her husband
was on his death bed. What did she do? She rushed to the hospital to forgive
him; he who has caused her so much pain.
That mother is an example of someone whose
words and works have been attuned to the words and works of Jesus. Despite the
many divisions she experienced in her life, she remains to be a disciple of the
Lord. Like that mother, may our words and works always re-echo the words and
works of Jesus come what may. Amen.
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