Jer 38:4-6,8-10/Psa 40:2-4,18/Heb 12:1-4/Luke 12:49-53.
Reflection by Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD(Catholic Bishop of Ho, Ghana)
The First Reading and the Gospel Reading speak about tension and division caused by a man of God.
In the First Reading, Jeremiah caused disagreement between King Zedekiah and his elders.
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Under normal circumstances, the elders were to advise the king on what to do.
The decision arrived at was normally a decision of the king and not the elders.
In the First Reading, we notice that there was disagreement between the king and his elders as regards what should be done to Jeremiah.
The king did not agree with the advice of his elders but he allowed them to carry out their plan.
The background of the decision of the elders is to be found in the reading today.
The disobedience of Israel was so great that God decided to punish the people by sending them into exile in Babylon.
The prophet told the people: “Those who stay in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but those who go out to the Chaldeans shall live; they shall have their lives as a prize of war, and live.
Thus says the Lord, This city shall surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and be taken” (Jer 38:2-3).
The words of Jeremiah were not pleasing to the people so they wanted to kill him.
They might have thought that by killing Jeremiah they would avert the disaster that was to come upon them.
This supposition is a false one because the words pronounced by the prophet against Israel were not his own.
The prophet spoke in the name of God and even if the prophet died, other men of God would rise to continue the work of God.
The elders of Israel did not offer the right advice to King Zedekiah when they proposed to him to kill Jeremiah.
They accused Jeremiah of not having the welfare of the people at heart.
This cannot be true because the prophecy of Jeremiah was a call on the people to repent and seek divine assistance.
By turning to the Lord their God, the people would avert the risk of dying at the hands of the Babylonians.
If they should remain obstinate in their evil ways, they were to face the wrath of God.
The response of the king to the elders shows how he felt powerless at the sight of his elders.
He allowed them to do what they wanted thus betraying his own inability to rule the country as king.
The king however redeemed his honour at the latter part of the story when he asked Ebed-melech to rescue Jeremiah from the well in which he was dumped by the elders.
The lack of consensus between the king and his elders had its negative effects on the population.
We know that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
Thus, the nation of Israel experienced political disintegration which gradually led to her doom.
Similarly, in the Gospel Reading, we witness a situation of conflict. This time, it is within the mission of Jesus.
He announced to the people that he came to bring fire on earth.
We are to understand the fire which Jesus speaks of in terms of apocalyptic language.
In this context, the fire would be referring to eschatological purification and judgment.
Thus, Jesus is saying that his mission on earth is to create a situation of elimination and judgment of the people.
The way it is expressed by Jesus reveals that the elimination itself has not yet taken place but the effects of the purging were already manifest.
We could already witness the division of families because of the advent of Jesus.
That father is against son and daughter against mother is a sign of divergence of belief or religious adherence.
In simple terms, we can think of a situation in which the son opts for faith in Jesus and the father does not.
Similarly, the daughter may opt for Jesus while the mother may not want to believe in Jesus.
Such a situation creates conflict in the family.
It is however surprising that Jesus revealed in the Gospel Reading his wish that this fire were already kindled.
We need to read the pronouncement of Jesus within its rightful perspective in order to avoid misinterpreting his intention.
The primary purpose or mission of Jesus is salvation so we cannot digress from this primary purpose as we interpret what he says in this passage.
Despite the ultimate purpose of Jesus, we realise that the attainment of salvation in Jesus also means judgment.
The judgment is on the basis of distinguishing between those who are for Jesus and those who are against him.
Those who are for him or believe in him will be saved but those who are against him will be condemned.
This process necessarily involves division in families in which not all members opt for faith in Jesus.
The wish of Jesus that this process was already initiated shows his own anxiety to see to its conclusion.
It is not that Jesus is in haste to condemn people who do not believe in him.
His desire is that none of us should perish but that all should be saved.
As a result we cannot see his desire in a negative sense.
Even when he speaks of his baptism that he must receive, the ultimate goal is positive since it is for the salvation of humanity. The call to faith in Jesus is a radical choice in life.
It will not always be a pleasant choice since it can lead to conflict and division even among family members.
If we understand what our salvation is all about and if we are convinced that Christ is the one who can save us,we will make the right judgment in life by opting for Christ.
King Zedekiah was not bold enough to stand against his elders in opting for Jeremiah. He however found a way of saving Jeremiah.
We have received the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ; we should be bold enough to stand for Christ even if that means being separated from loved ones.
We know that ultimately we should work for our salvation in Jesus Christ so nothing should hinder us from remaining on the right path.Amen.
