29th Week, Thursday, Oct 21
Romans 6:19-23 / Luke 12:49-53
Paul exhorts the Romans; Turn to Christ as you once turned to sin.
"In Downey, California, a man in his early 20s went through the prime rib line seven times at Marmac's, a restaurant that provides an unlimited amount of roast beef. ... He wound up in a hospital, having his stomach pumped out. But less than a week later, he was back in the beef line.” Time magazine
It's this kind of moral addiction to evil that Paul refers to in today's reading. The human heart was once so completely controlled by sin that it was helpless in the face of temptation. All that changed with the coming of Jesus. Now Paul urges the Romans to let Jesus reign in their hearts as completely as sin once did.
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How completely have we surrendered our hearts to Jesus Christ? “Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land; Ring in the Christ that is to be.” Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Every person grows with age. The growth is just not physically, but also intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Although a person's growth can be measured most obviously by the age, it does not necessarily mean that with age there will be maturity. It also does not mean that as one gets older, one also get wiser, or mellower, or holier.
And if one is not formed in good moral principles, then, as the 1st reading would put it, they are like slaves of sin, with no obligation to righteousness. The result would be actions that are embarrassing to say the least, and even at the far end, it would be actions that result in destruction of self and spiritual death. The 1st reading reminds us that we have been set free from sin, and with God as our Master, we are led to our sanctification and ending with eternal life.
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Every man has of necessity to make the choice between life and death. This choice is identical with the choice - between God and his kingdom, and sin between faith and grace, giving eternal life, and death between knowing, loving and serving God, and knowing, loving and serving creatures in place of God.
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Today’s Gospel passage may sound a bit disturbing. The Prince of Peace is speaking the language of pieces and divisions. It sounds like he would practice a ‘divide and rule’ policy in the world. He has come to bring about peace between God and human beings. However, there is always the possibility that some members of a family succeed in understanding ‘his ways and his thoughts,’ (Is. 55:8) but others fail to understand, because his ways and his thoughts are different from human ways and human thoughts. This would naturally lead to divisions in the family. Whoever stands with Jesus stands apart, without being part of any family. Discipleship disturbs physical relationship in favour of spiritual relationship. A new vision is likely to generate divisions.
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Prayer
Lord our God, you have set us free in Christ, free from our selfishness, free from shame and fear, free for life and service. God, accept our thanks for this free gift. Give us the strength, day after day, to grow in this liberty and to help our little or large world to attain the same freedom from sin and its consequences: from injustice, suffering, and oppression. One day may we be completely free in your eternal home, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen
