20th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C
Being a Catholic Christian in our world today is not a joke, because we must face real opposition and conflict that the Gospel will surely bring us. Standing firm in our Catholic beliefs and faith today means standing against the world and all its beliefs, so we will definitely face many challenges, persecution, difficulties and obstacles in our lives. Even as Jesus suggested in today’s gospel reading, that most of the challenges, persecution, and difficulties or most of the opposition and obstacles we will face in the world, will come from familiar faces or people close to us like family members, and people we know.
That is why Jesus in today’s gospel reading reminds his disciples and us to persevere and stand firm in our mission in the world like Him, who has come to set the earth on fire and bring about division. He emphasized that there is a baptism with which He must be baptized, and how great is His anguish until His work is accomplished! Though these words of Jesus might sound strange and awkward, they are true and real because His gospel will ruffle the feathers of many in the world as it will disturb the comfortable of this world while it comforts the disturbed of this world. My dear friends, what Jesus pointed out in today’s gospel reading is true as we can see the reality of His words in today’s First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah chapter 38, verses 4-6, and 8-10 where the princes and the king wanted to put Prophet Jeremiah to death for being faithful to God and for standing firm in God when they said that he was demoralizing the soldiers who are left in their city, and all the people, by speaking the truth to them and giving them God’s message. And that he, Prophet Jeremiah was not interested in the welfare of his people, but in their ruin and destruction.
So my brothers and sisters in Christ, when you say ‘yes’ to God, have it at the back of your mind that you will definitely face oppositions and persecution from the devil and his followers. But be reminded by today’s second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1 to 4 not to give up or be scared, rather to persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of our faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken His seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how He endured such opposition from sinners, and how He shed His blood in order that we might not grow weary and lose heart. Hence today our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ reminds us to bring His fire upon the earth starting with ourselves, that is, changing our lives and letting His fire burn in our hearts so that we can proclaim and live out His love and mercy in the world. Jesus in fact today calls us to set the world ablaze with His gospel, to shake off our spiritual fears, doubts, drowsiness and laziness so as to awaken His presence in our lives, to acknowledge His power over us and to live out His love for us in our world today.
Of course difficulties, trials, challenges, persecution, disappointments, disagreements, division and suffering will come to us for believing in God and being disciples of Christ, but remember salvation comes through the cross and peace oftentimes comes from struggles and challenges. So like the Letter to the Hebrews tells us today, let us not abandon the struggle we face in being disciples of Christ in the world today, but let us persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, our leader and the perfecter of our faith who endured the cross and despised its shame so as to take His seat at the right of the throne of God for our redemption and salvation.
