Unlike the propaganda of most human organizations, be they democratic or totalitarian governments, the canonical gospels are candid. While propaganda paints a rosy picture of the organizations concerned, some gospel messages can be disturbing. Today, we have a dose of it.
Indeed, most of the teachings of Jesus are very revolutionary. After two thousand years of evangelization, we have taken some of them for granted. For example, in ancient times, an action, say killing a person, in itself was enough to mete out the capital punishment. Today we pay more attention to the motives of the killing and make a difference between murder and homicide. Thanks to the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5-7. We are more civilized and humane.
However, some teachings of Jesus definitely take longer time to, or even will never, be accepted. For example, in one of the parables, the master of the vineyard pays the same amount of wages no matter how short the labourers have worked in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-15). Superficially, the action of the owner violates a basic principle of justice. Moreover, it is impracticable. Many biblical scholars have "satisfactorily" explained the meanings of this parable. However, most of them can only "explain" it away on the spiritual plane and never in the economic realm of our daily life in reality. Therefore, I am afraid this teaching of Jesus can never be whole-heartedly accepted by people. At most, they will pay lip-service to the wisdom of this spiritual truth. But this truth will not be able to "imbue" into their daily life and cannot be put into practice in our economic life today.
The reading today is challenging indeed. The first verse is a bit unexpected but is still acceptable. Jesus talks about his desire to cast "fire" upon the earth (Luke 12:49). It is acceptable because we know that by "fire", Jesus means the Holy Spirit. Indeed, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended in the form of tongues of fire on the 120 disciples (Acts 2:3). We can still swallow the next verse on "baptism" when we understand it to mean his Passion and Death. Remember in early days and even today, baptism takes the form of submersion in water. It signifies death and burial of the old self. When the baptized emerges from the water, it symbolizes vividly his resurrection. So, there is a "death" element in Christian baptism. So far so good.
The next three verses are really disturbing, unsettling and unforgivable.
"Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division;
for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three;
they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." (Luke 12:51-53)
Isn't the gospel message a message of love and peace? How can Jesus openly incite divisive actions among his followers? It is unforgivable because it attacks the basic building blocks of a society, the family.
If we draw such a conclusion, we have committed the mistake of reading the passage out of context. In order to have a proper understanding of this pericope, we need to read, at least, the whole Luke 12. Jesus wants to tell his disciples to stay alert. Don't be so naive as to think that people will welcome the gospel automatically. The gospel messages are revolutionary and will meet oppositions and even repressions from the traditional and deep-seated mentality. This is inevitable because the social institutions such as family, economy, culture and politics have proved to be workable for our lives for so long. People are blind to their weaknesses and even structural evils. The truth which Jesus teaches will inevitably clash with them and results in division.
Indeed, we are blind to many other divisive evils against the family institution nowadays. Think about the long working hours of parents. Think of the soaring divorce rate as a consequence. Who is truly divisive when God commands you to rest on Sabbath, when Jesus forbids divorce or when economic progresses today demand you to work overtime? I would say the gospel is telling the truth and is candid.
Dear Lord, help us face the truth squarely and kindle in us the same desires of Yours in our hearts. Amen.
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