Gospel: Luke 12: 49-53
At first glance, today's Gospel portion is shocking. How can it be that the Prince of Peace came to bring division and war? What are we to make of this contradiction? Consider the entire sweep of the Gospels in reflecting on this dilemma, looking at the various encounters where Jesus receives opposition and incredulity both from the religious leaders of his day as well as his disciples. There we find a common element where division arises.
In each case Jesus extends mercy through healing and liberation to someone who is regarded as unworthy by the crowd, or the extension of mercy overrides the Law in another matter. When Jesus heals people on the Sabbath, opposition arises from those who think the Sabbath prohibition on work is more important than mercy. When Jesus heals lepers, demoniacs, foreigner, and unclean women, opposition and incredulity come from nearly everyone - the crowds, religious leaders, even his own disciples.
This opposition will extend to the table of fellowship and hospitality when Jesus chooses to dine with tax collectors and prostitutes as well as Pharisees and scribes. This division and war is an ironic one, as it is our response to Jesus extending mercy to all people, not reserving it for a privileged elite who would control God. The division and war is our making, not that of Jesus. So it was then, so it has been, and so it is in our own day. Will we accept the mercy and hospitality of Jesus for all, or resist his love?
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