Homily for 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2019
Jeremiah 38:4-6,8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53
Introduction
"A prophet of doom." That is what we call the person who tells us that bad things will happen. "Take your negativity elsewhere," we tell them, whether it is a friend pointing out the red flags in a potential partner, or the doctor who warns us about our eating habits or even the priest who preaches sermons with challenging messages, or sermons about hot topics like abortion or immigration or guns.
Scripture and Theology
Actually, the original "prophet of doom," the man whose life and work gave us this expression was Jeremiah, from whom today's first reading comes. Jeremiah was asked by God to reveal the sin of the people, to tell them of the impending disaster that would befall the nation unless they surrendered. Naturally, his pessimistic message was denounced by other prophets and by the leaders. In fact in today's passage we heard him accused of demoralizing the soldiers by suggesting that the nation would fall. And for his efforts, Jeremiah was considered unpatriotic, tortured and persecuted.
But if this title, "prophet of doom" was imposed upon Jeremiah, Jesus voluntarily embraces it when he preaches fire and brimstone in the gospel we just read.
- “I have come to set the earth on fire," he says, "and how I wish it were already blazing!”
- And then again: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”
Nobody wanted to hear such an unwelcome message of fire and division.
But is Jesus not contradicting himself, since at the Last Supper Jesus told his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you"?
Actually when he said that, he also added: "Not as the world gives do I give it to you” (Jn. 14:27). The world often understands peace to mean merely an absence of war, a passive relationship, in which people don't fight, but they also don't love each other. It is the kind of peace borne out of indifference, the peace that sweeps problems under the carpet, the peace that compromises the truth. If that is what we call peace, Jesus says, he will have nothing to do with it.
But the peace that Jesus brings is an active kind of peace; it involves commitment, faithfulness and love of Jesus and one another. And since love is caring for the good of another, sometimes such love will point out what is wrong in the other person, even if they don't want to hear that message.
Moreover, for this truly lasting peace to come about, Jesus must set the earth on fire with his demanding message that brings life.
- His message is like the fire that must destroy the dense undergrowth of the forest, so as to allow new plants to germinate.
- His message is like the fire of heat and light that makes plants grow.
- His message is like the fire that cleanses and purifies gold and silver, burning away all that is impure and unworthy.
- His message is like the fire of God’s presence that Moses saw in the burning bush, the pillar of fire that accompanied the Israelites in the desert, and the tongues of fire at Pentecost which descended upon the apostles.
Christian Life
Six years ago, at the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis encouraged the youth to return home, go out onto the streets and make noise, bringing the gospel outside of the churches to the world. Some misunderstood the Pope’s words and suggested that he was encouraging the youth to go out on the streets and start riots and demonstrations. But the Pope, like Jesus was only encouraging the youth to get out there and be courageous missionaries, on fire for the gospel. Like Jesus, the Pope was not encouraging war and destruction, but rather an fervent spirit and an avid commitment to the message of salvation.
As Jesus indicated in the gospel, one area where such division is likely to occur as a result of prophetic action is in the family itself. For example:
- A father, who runs his business on Christian principles of justice and honesty, will be divided against his son who prefers quick gain.
- And a son, who chooses to become a priest will be divided against his father who wants him to join the family business and make money.
- A mother, who upholds Christian sexual morals in marriage will be divided against her daughter who sees sexuality as being only about pleasure.
- And a daughter, who chooses a life of service to the poor and needy will certainly be divided against her mother who focuses on career.
Besides the prophets that we must be in our families, the Church, especially its leaders, the Pope and bishops, priests and deacons, must be a prophetic voice in the world. But I often I hear it said: "The Church should keep out of politics."
Well, what is politics? In my high school civics classes we learnt that politics is the management of the polis, the Greek word for society. Why should the Church not have a say in the management of society, especially since Our Lord Jesus Christ, has a lot to teach about making societies better? Why should the bishops keep from society the Good News of Jesus Christ who came "to bring glad tidings to the poor . . . . to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free"? Why should priests not preach about the value of life, from natural conception to natural death, and all the life in-between, especially promoting those things that Matthew 25 says we should do for the hungry and thirsty, sick and imprisoned, naked and strangers?
Of course the objection, "don't get involved in politics" is often disingenuous because it is usually contingent on what subjects the Church is speaking about. Those on the Left will scream only when what the Church teaches goes against their platform, for example, on issues of sexuality and reproduction; but they will gladly embrace the Church's patronage on issues that are dear to them. On the other hand, those on the Right will scream only when what the Church teaches exposes what is wrong with their platform, for example on issues such as immigration and care for the vulnerable and minorities; but they will gladly accept the Church's support on issues that are dear to them.
And yet, following in the footsteps of the prophet Jeremiah and Jesus, the Church must speak on all the issues involving human life and society. It does not matter whether those issues are shared by those on the Left or on Right, as long as they are consistent with and flow from the gospel. For it is this world, not some other world, that the Lord left for us, to transform into the Kingdom of God.
Conclusion
But to be fair, there is one area of politics that Church leaders must not engage in, and that is partisan politics. Bishops, priests and deacons must not tell their faithful, which party or candidate to vote for or against. And why not? Individual Catholics, after being well-formed on the various issues by their leaders, must freely exercise their conscience, in making electoral decisions. Church leaders must never substitute the consciences of their parishioners with their own.
For when each of us shows up at the gates of heaven, your priest or bishop will not be standing by you, as you explain your life choices. But your priest and bishop will have their own answering to do when asked by St. Peter: "Were you a prophetic voice? Did you preach the gospel in season and out of season?"
