Reflections
“Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth?”Is the Lord divisive? One answer is no. Jesus desires unity. This was in fact revealed to us in the so-called high priestly prayer of Jesus in the Gospel of St. John (cf. John 17: 21). Even St. Pope John Paul II acknowledged this as a challenge to the Church from the Lord in his 1995 encyclical Ut Unum Sint, quoting Vatican II dec ree Unitatis Redintegratio: "the Church is… sent to the world to announce and witness, to make present and spread the mystery of communion which is essential to her, and to gather all people and all things into Christ, so as to be for all an 'inseparable sacra- ment of unity’” (5). God’s eternal plan is to put all things united un- der Christ (cf. Eph. 1:9-10). And, needless to say, yes, Christ also brings peace (cf. Eph. 2:14).But placed in the context of the whole Chapter 12 of Luke’s gospel, another answer to the question “Is the Lord divisive?” is yes! The Lord’s return demands faith, and faith is a choice. In life, as we prepare for his return, it is either we are on his side or against him. Our choice might create opposition even from our family. But the wisest option is to be on the side of Christ because our loyalty to him will matter most in his return than our fide- lity to family ties.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019