Jesus: A Cause of Division

Today's Reflections 

      

Jesus: A Cause of Division

Mt 10:34—11:1

[Jesus said to the Twelve,] ³⁴“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. ³⁵For I have come to set/ a man ‘against his father,/ a daughter against her mother,/ and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;/ ³⁶and one’s enemies will be those of his household.’

³⁷“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

⁴⁰“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. ⁴¹Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴²And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

¹When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

NOT PEACE BUT THE SWORD. The cross is an instrument of torture used to inflict a most painful and shameful death. Among the Jews, a crucified man falls under God’s curse.

Taking up one’s cross is far from doing a pious devotion. The cross means suffering and persecution, ridicule and insult. Like Jesus, a disciple must be prepared to undergo these. The cross may result in division within the family and society. Discipleship demands total commitment to Jesus even if it means separation from loved ones.

Our challenge now is: Are we genuine followers of Christ? Do we have courage to confront others with the gospel message even at the risk of negative consequences? Do we find fault with our Church leaders involved in issues touching the moral and spiritual dimensions of human life?

“May I never boast

except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

through which the world has been crucified to me,

and I to the world” (Gal 6:14).