Priorities

Homily for Thursday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

As I mentioned yesterday, chapter twelve of St. Luke’s Gospel contains material that is often times difficult to read. The passage that we read today ranks high on the list of difficult sayings. In it Jesus says that he has come to sow division, not to bring peace. Families divided against each other? What can he mean? It may be helpful to understand these words by taking a broader look at the context of this reading.

Luke set out to write an “orderly account” (Lk 1:3), so we can have some confidence that the things placed together are together for a reason. When I read the whole twelfth chapter of Luke, I find that Jesus makes a very serious point in several ways.

He warns against hypocrisy and outplaced fear of physical death over spiritual death. He refuses a request to settle an inheritance dispute and admonishes the petitioner to stop focusing on earthly wealth. He reminds us to trust in God’s care for us in all things and warns us that a habit of placing undue priority on this life can leave us unprepared for the end.

Jesus uses the image of fire when he speaks of his mission. Fire can be a source of fear as it has been in our country during the last two or three years. We have witnessed great destruction of forest land and many homes and entire communities. Once again, it might help us to look at the image of fire from a scriptural perspective. God uses a firebrand when making his covenant with Abraham. He appears atop Mount Horeb in a burning bush when he commissions Moses to be his spokesperson. At Mount Sinai, the Israelites witness a fire burning at the top of the mountain where God is waiting for Moses. Elijah calls down fire in his confrontation with the prophets of Baal. Jesus himself uses the image of fire several times in the gospel. And how can we forget that the Holy Spirit comes the apostles in tongues of fire. If we place today’s reference to the fire in that context, we find God within the fire and can be sure that God is with us.

A theme emerges. He seems to be saying, “Get your priorities straight! There is a great deal at stake here!” It is a clear reminder that the demands of this life, while quite real, must never be our first focus.

Fortunately, we can reset our priorities with each new day. We can begin with prayer, find ways to express kindness and care to others, and accept God’s gift of mercy and strength through the church's sacraments.

Although this passage can be difficult to hear, it is also a reminder of the depth of Christ’s love for us—he will always challenge us to seek a much richer life in the eternal kingdom.