Breaking the Word

29^th Week in Ord. Time, Friday– 21^st October 2022 — Gospel: Lk 12,54-59

Signs of present time

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus contrasts his contemporaries’ knowledge and understanding of the nature with their inability to understand the importance of his presence among them. With all their knowledge, they are still unable ‘to interpret the present time.’ The present time is the time to recognize what God is doing in their midst. Jesus has provided much evidence of God’s saving activity. But they have not responded well and have not perceived that Jesus is establishing the reign of God. Jesus admonishes them for their worldly concerns. In the present time, Jesus is calling everyone to actively participate in establishing God’s kingdom on earth.  We are to realize that the kingdom is growing among us. Jesus invites us to be wise in discerning the signs of this kingdom. He is calling everyone to action; it is nothing but our commitment to the kingdom of justice. As followers of Christ we must be committed to action but have to cope with our frequent failure to live our faith. Failures are common in our commitment to God’s kingdom, but nevertheless we believe that God will do something good through us.

29^th Week in Ord. Time, Thursday – 20^th October 2022 — Gospel: Lk 12,49-53

For or Against Kingdom

One of the results of Jesus’ mission is ‘division’ among people, penetrating even the most intimate level of relationships within families. Here, Jesus uses an illustration from Mic 7,6. The prevailing Jewish idea in Jesus’ time was that Messiah would defeat Israel’s enemies and inaugurate an age of peace. The angels declared at his birth “peace on earth” (Lk 2,14). Jesus promised, ‘peace’ to those who respond to the gospel he brings (Jn 14,27; 16,33). To those he forgives and heals, Jesus himself extends peace individually (Lk 7,50; 8,48) and he also sends out his disciples to proclaim this ‘peace to other houses’ (Lk 10,5-6).  But Jesus here clarifies matters so that the disciples are not surprised by the growing opposition. This division comes not because Jesus is against all forms of unity, but because, everyone in the world stands on one of two sides of the gospel. Those who are not for Jesus are against him (Lk 11,23). Those who refuse God’s offer of peace remain his enemies (Rom 8,7). God’s peace is tied to the message of salvation and extended only to those who respond favourably to his offer of forgiveness in Christ. Jesus’ offer of salvation contains the choice between aligning with God’s kingdom or standing against it.