20th Sunday of Ordinary Time [C]

 


20TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [C]


He has been described as “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). But Jesus doesn’t sound like a proponent of peace in this Gospel passage. Instead, he’s being divisive. He wants to burn everything down (see Luke 12:49-53). Of course, we need to be aware of the context. He’s speaking these words at a particular time and in a particular place. During that period, within that culture, you would belong to either a Jewish household or a pagan household. If you’re from a Jewish household, then you would be worshiping the God of Moses. If you’re from a pagan household, then you would be worshiping the gods & goddesses of Imperial Rome. 


With Jesus, however, we have the introduction of a third option. Choose to follow Jesus and watch what happens. You will be causing disruption within your household. It’s not going to be a popular decision. You will face pressure, resistance, even ridicule—whether you were raised in a Jewish household or in a Roman household. Should it matter to you? Should you care about what others might be thinking? Perhaps the best way to answer that question will be to consult an old fable about a man, a boy, and their donkey. 


The man and his son are on their way to the market, leading a donkey along with them. A farmer calls out to them, questioning why they are walking when they could be riding. After all, the donkey is a sturdy beast of burden. It can carry one or both of them. In response, the man and his son climb onto the back of the donkey. A short time later, they hear a bystander shaming them. As far as the bystander is concerned, they are over-burdening the donkey. One of them should be willing to walk, rather than ride. Therefore, in response, the man resumes walking, while the son continues to ride along on the back of the donkey. 


Soon, however, they encounter a new round of criticism: why should the elder be forced to walk? It’s a sign of disrespect that the son feels comfortable riding while the father has to walk. In response, they then trade places: now the boy is walking and the father is riding. And yet, there are those who find fault with this approach as well. Finally, the man and the boy have had enough. They complete their journey as they originally undertook it: with both of them walking and the donkey trailing behind. 


It was no use, trying to satisfy those who were looking on. The man and the boy had to stop and reconfigure, three different times. It would have saved them time and aggravation if they had simply pressed on. That’s the point being made in Hebrews chapter twelve. We’re being called to press on, to make ever greater progress. Stay clear of whatever slows you down or holds you up (12:1-2). It’s all about pressing forward, closing in on your objective—namely Jesus. If you’re faced with a contrary influence, resist it. Don’t become entangled, don’t be lured off-course. What matters most is your relationship with the Lord. It’s a relationship that needs to be formed, and it also needs to be pursued. 


At times it will seem like a lonely path. Still, you’ll be in good company. Consider the case of Jeremiah in our first reading. He knows all about the experience of isolation. Imagine being lowered into a cold dark cistern, sinking knee-deep in the mud. That’s the prophet’s situation as we navigate through the early stages of chapter thirty eight. How does that chapter conclude? By the end of the chapter, he is once again on firm ground, breathing fresh air, enjoying the light of day. Yes, a choice for the Lord will mean periods of isolation, or even persecution. Nevertheless, remember to maintain your sense of perspective. We are talking about PERIODS of isolation, PERIODS of persecution. They need to be understood as PERIODS. What was the cistern for Jeremiah? The cistern was an episode. It was an episode for Jeremiah. An episode is an episode. It most certainly does not represent the entire story. 

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