Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
It seems safe to say that Jesus has desires that, at least on the surface, we don't share. When we think about a world that is rooted and grounded in love we place the importance of family near the top. Obviously, the unity among members of families would seem to be a key indicator as to whether or not families were thriving. A world of divided families would seem to be a world heading in precisely the wrong direction. But what we should recognize from all of this is not that Jesus is not loving, but that his love is different than ours, more like a fire, containing elements of transformation and purification. That love requires transformation we also garner from the much more amenable text we have today from Paul.
that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
He did already dwell in the hearts of the Ephesians, but they needed to grow more if they wanted to become all they were meant to be as Christians, to have the strength to fully comprehend the all surpassing love of Christ. Why did it take strength? Well, for one thing, it was likely to sometimes go against their base instincts or assumptions about things, just as Jesus does for us in today's Gospel. But getting on the same page was Jesus was a vital prerequisite to living in a way that could lead to union with him, to being "filled with all the fullness of God".
It is not that Jesus desires disunity among families for its own sake. What he desires is that our unity be reestablished with him as the cornerstone. People and families contain both light and darkness. In ourselves we must recognize our divided nature so as to choose the light. In families too we need to understand where people stand, with Jesus and the light, or against him, not to reject those among us who choose to stand against him, but rather to know the specific loving response that is appropriate in their case. We stand apart, yes, but in order to help, in order to minister the love of Christ to them. What we must not do is treat family as such an absolute good that we wouldn't dare upset it even for the sake of the eternal souls of some of its members. Ultimately, all of us together being filled with the fullness of Christ is of infinitely more value than some momentary hurt feelings, if those happen to be a byproduct of honesty and faithfulness to the Lord.
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized
We all need more of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so that we can have the dynamic motivating power of God guiding us, helping us to become more like him. For his own part Jesus looked forward, somehow, to the baptism of the cross which would allow this fire to be unleashed on the world. There is a close connection here since the Holy Spirit connects us to the paschal mystery of Jesus and makes the purifying power of his death present in our lives. It doesn't always feel like crucifixion when he helps us to conform ourselves to Christ. But neither does it always feel only and entirely pleasant. But just as Jesus desired the baptism of the cross for himself so too must we desire his cleansing fire to fill our own hearts. There may be difficult moments along the way. But it is leading to "more than all we ask or imagine".
No, I tell you, but rather division.
It seems safe to say that Jesus has desires that, at least on the surface, we don't share. When we think about a world that is rooted and grounded in love we place the importance of family near the top. Obviously, the unity among members of families would seem to be a key indicator as to whether or not families were thriving. A world of divided families would seem to be a world heading in precisely the wrong direction. But what we should recognize from all of this is not that Jesus is not loving, but that his love is different than ours, more like a fire, containing elements of transformation and purification. That love requires transformation we also garner from the much more amenable text we have today from Paul.
that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
He did already dwell in the hearts of the Ephesians, but they needed to grow more if they wanted to become all they were meant to be as Christians, to have the strength to fully comprehend the all surpassing love of Christ. Why did it take strength? Well, for one thing, it was likely to sometimes go against their base instincts or assumptions about things, just as Jesus does for us in today's Gospel. But getting on the same page was Jesus was a vital prerequisite to living in a way that could lead to union with him, to being "filled with all the fullness of God".
It is not that Jesus desires disunity among families for its own sake. What he desires is that our unity be reestablished with him as the cornerstone. People and families contain both light and darkness. In ourselves we must recognize our divided nature so as to choose the light. In families too we need to understand where people stand, with Jesus and the light, or against him, not to reject those among us who choose to stand against him, but rather to know the specific loving response that is appropriate in their case. We stand apart, yes, but in order to help, in order to minister the love of Christ to them. What we must not do is treat family as such an absolute good that we wouldn't dare upset it even for the sake of the eternal souls of some of its members. Ultimately, all of us together being filled with the fullness of Christ is of infinitely more value than some momentary hurt feelings, if those happen to be a byproduct of honesty and faithfulness to the Lord.
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized
We all need more of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so that we can have the dynamic motivating power of God guiding us, helping us to become more like him. For his own part Jesus looked forward, somehow, to the baptism of the cross which would allow this fire to be unleashed on the world. There is a close connection here since the Holy Spirit connects us to the paschal mystery of Jesus and makes the purifying power of his death present in our lives. It doesn't always feel like crucifixion when he helps us to conform ourselves to Christ. But neither does it always feel only and entirely pleasant. But just as Jesus desired the baptism of the cross for himself so too must we desire his cleansing fire to fill our own hearts. There may be difficult moments along the way. But it is leading to "more than all we ask or imagine".
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