Monday, July 16, 2012

Jesus' challenging mission: disturbing the peace


In today’s Gospel, Mt 10: 34-11:1, Jesus says to us: “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.”  I said to the Lord: “Wow, that statement is enough to turn everyone away from Christianity and from reading the Bible.”  I imagined the Lord saying to me:  

“Dorothy Ann, I know those words are harsh.  The Son of God took on human
 nature to save each person from death. To reverse that sentence of death, which
 Satan thrust upon the world by his lies, would entail “the sword” of grace, violence
toward evil, and the strength to stand by Truth to follow God’s ways in the face of
fierce opposition from those who are closest to you—family members. Truth
confronts falsehood mainly within the family. Choosing my Father’s will, many times, 
comes in conflict with family members who insist on a choice that is contrary to what
God is asking of a son/daughter, a daughter/son-in-law.  Tempers fly even to the point
 of imprisonment and bloodshed,  lawsuits and legal wrangling. It happened to me; it
will happen to my disciples. And in today’s world that is attempting to destroy the
Sacred, division within families—natural, liturgical, political and religious—is increasing. 

Hold fast to the faith you have been given! 

What a clear message of what this passage could mean.  It made sense to me. What about you?

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