Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ephesians
3:14-21; Luke 12:49-53)
The sales
manager took a handful of coins from his pocket and threw them across the room.
That got the attention of the young salesmen.
Then the manager made his point.
The salesmen were throwing his money away by not working hard to sell
water coolers. Jesus’ words in today’s
gospel similarly awaken his disciples from complacency.
Jesus is
not acting as a militant when he says that he has “come to set the earth on
fire.” The only fire he sets is that of love.
Nor is he disclaiming that he is “the prince of peace” when he says that
he has come to establish “division.” He will bring about greater unity than the
world has ever known in his church.
Jesus is
not a “feel good” messiah whose intention is solely to please. No, he wants his disciples to run the difficult
course of holiness so that they may become saints. Indeed, he will give his life for this to
happen.
