Commitment to Jesus Christ means taking a stand on certain things. And, sometimes, that stand sets us in opposition to other people. As Christians our commitment to follow Jesus demands courage and perseverance. Some time ago a newspaper columnist shared an important moment in his earlier life with his readers. It happened when he was drafted into the Royal Air Force and found himself in a military barracks with 30 other men. On the first night he had to make a big decision. He had always knelt to say his prayers. Should be continue to kneel now that he was in the military service? He squirmed a little bit and then said to himself, “Why should I change just because people are watching? Am I going to begin my life away from home by letting other people dictate what I should and should not do?” he decided to kneel. By the time he finished, he was aware that everyone else was aware of him. And when he made the Sign of the Cross, he was aware that everyone else knew that he was a Catholic. As it turned out, he was the only Catholic in the barracks. Yet, night after night he knelt. He said that those ten minutes on his knees often led to discussions that lasted for hours. On the last day of boot camp, someone said to him, “You’re the finest Christian I’ve ever met.” He replied, “Well, I might be the most public Christian you’ve ever met, but I don’t think I’m the finest. Still, I thank you for what you said.”
That story illustrates one of the points of today’s gospel. Commitment to Jesus Christ means taking a stand on certain things. And, sometimes, that stand sets us in opposition to other people. Sometimes our commitment to Jesus will cause us to be persecuted, as Jeremiah was in today’s first reading. Sometimes it will cause us to struggle, as Paul notes in today’s second reading. Sometimes it may even cause us to oppose our own family, as Jesus warns in today’s gospel. This was one of the reasons why early Romans hated Christianity so much. It tore their families apart. Once a son became a Christian, he could no longer join the others in pagan worship. He could no longer join the others at gladiatorial games to cheer on two slaves as they fought each other to death. He could no longer join the others in encouraging his sister to let her crippled baby die, rather than to let it grow up handicapped. He could no longer join his friends in orgies and other immoral activities that were so characteristic of Rome in its decadent years. Over and over, Roman Christians had to decide whether they loved family and friends more than they loved Christ. And often this set them in opposition to their family.
When Jesus invited people to follow him, he realized what he was asking of them. It meant leaving father, mother, and family. In other words, commitment to Jesus has to take priority over everything else, even commitment to our own family. And this is the message of today’s readings. It’s a message that is as important today as it was in the time of Jesus. The Christian’s commitment to Jesus and the Father must take priority over everything else. The Christian’s commitment to be light and truth cannot be compromised in any way.
Let us pray:
Lord, give us the courage to follow you, even though it causes us to struggle, as Paul notes in today’s second reading.
Lord, give us the courage to follow you, even though it causes us to be persecuted, as Jeremiah was in today’s first reading.
Lord, give us the courage to follow you, even though, sometimes, it sets us in opposition to our family, as Jesus warns in today’s gospel.