Faith Amidst Diversity

𝐎𝐂𝐓. 𝟐𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏: 𝐑𝐨𝐦 𝟔:𝟏𝟗-𝟐𝟑

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟏:𝟏-𝟒, 𝟔 “𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐊 𝟏𝟐:𝟒𝟗-𝟓𝟑

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒅.” (𝒗.49) 

         This Gospel can be interpreted in two ways. It either referred to his coming when he was borne of a woman or to his second coming.

         If we are to regard this passage as an aftermath of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ when Jesus talks of his second coming, then this Gospel appears to be directed specifically to those who belong to a Parish or in a Renewal Community as it speaks of his coming as a day of judgment when Jesus will scrutinize all our works and how we used our gifts, how we invested the talents entrusted to us, how well we loved our neighbor, and whether our lives bore fruit.

         On the other hand, if we are to look at this passage in terms of a pre-crucifixion scenario, then we see Jesus giving his disciples the reason and the purpose of why he was sent into the world: “𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉," (𝒗.49) 

         Again, this passage is like a double-edged sword in that Jesus came not only to cast judgment on the people which was probably how the Jews associated it since fire in the olden times was regarded as a symbol of judgment. But it could also mean to be a future event that would happen on the day of Pentecost.

         Prior to the advent of the New Testament, God has been sending prophets to bring the people closer to God. But the people’s faith in those days wasn’t what God had expected, and this was what Jesus pointed out when he said: “and how I wish it were already kindled.”

         The fact that Jesus talked of “𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒐, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒅!” (𝒗.50) meant that this passage was a pre-crucifixion scenario in which he was talking of his passion, death and resurrection which to him was a baptism that he had to undergo in obedience to the Will of the Father.

         A deeper reflection of 𝐯𝐯.𝟒𝟗-𝟓𝟎 will reveal the pain and frustration that Jesus feels and the following verses will show in the strongest possible terms what his coming would create – a division not only within the family but also among the people.

         His words in this Gospel was a warning to the people that they should expect and be prepared to make a decision that will have a bearing on their future in the Heavenly kingdom. Indeed, Jesus was not only giving his disciples and his listeners a preview of what his coming meant but he was demanding a response not only from the people who listened to him preach and those who were healed but he also wants us now to draw the line between the world and eternal salvation.

         I’m sure many of those who have committed their lives to serve God through the Parish or a Renewal Community may not have noticed it, but our commitment has separated us from the previous circle we used to socialize.

         In my case, even my choice of music has shifted from standards to praise songs. During the time when me and Malou were still very much active in serving God through the Community, we literally stopped going out with our friends from the past, albeit unintentionally, as we preoccupied ourselves with assignments to teach and to stand as a sharer in the Marriage Encounter or LSS whenever and wherever we are invited.

         But Christianity should not be viewed as divisive which was probably the reason why the Roman government hated Christianity because it divided families. But Christianity should be looked into as a unifying force because its true intention is to bring everyone to believe, to have faith and to love God.

         What Jesus was trying to picture in this Gospel is that loyalty to Him must be the priority over anything else. For those who have accepted Christ as his Savior, we must do what Paul says in 𝑷𝒉𝒊 3:8 “𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅.”        

         Because at the end of the day, neither of our good works, titles or positions we occupy and, or material possessions can compensate for that which Our Lord deems as the most important which he will look for in each one of us when he finally comes – our loyalty to Our God who created us in His image and likeness.

         And to those who will confess their loyalty to Christ, he will give them the power of the Holy Spirit “𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑱𝒆𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒎, 𝑱𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉” (𝑨𝒄𝒕 1:8). The prophet 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐚𝐡 (𝟒𝟑:𝟏𝟎) also reminds us “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔, 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒎 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒏, 𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒉𝒆. 𝑩𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒅, 𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆.”        

         To witness for Christ is our primary responsibility and this is rooted in our loyalty to him who chose us and loved us and a true disciple is one who will forsake everything to love God with all our minds, hearts and soul and, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

         These two commandments are the fire that will kindle and turn our hearts as our burnt offering when he comes in glory. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘖𝘤𝘵. 23, 2025)