Between Personal Comfort and Values. 08/17/25. Chima Offurum. 

This Sunday’s gospel passage from Luke (12:49-53) is one of the most challenging in the gospels because it speaks directly to possible disruptions of family and intimate relationships. When family love is genuine and bonds are deep, how do we reconcile Jesus’ startling announcement that His mission will bring division rather than peace? This is not a casual statement, but a prophetic warning that following Him may require choosing truth or personal values over the comfort of harmony. It is unsettling to imagine that loyalty to the Gospel could cause rifts between parents and children, brothers and sisters. Yet, Jesus speaks with the authority of one who knows the cost of discipleship.

However, these words should not be interpreted at face value as a call to destroy relationships. Instead, Jesus points to the hard reality that the pursuit of God’s truth can clash with the values, habits, or compromises of even those closest to us. When life’s meaning is anchored in God’s call, the ties of blood and tradition cannot outweigh the demands of righteousness. This was the experience of the prophet Jeremiah, whose own people, his “kinsfolk,” rose against him without hesitation (Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10). For Jeremiah, family bonds could not silence his proclamation of God’s truth, even when it placed his life in danger. He is also a testimony that God never abandons those who trust in Him.

During this weekend’s celebration, the Letter to the Hebrews (12:1-4) takes this reality of God’s faithfulness further by urging believers to keep their eyes fixed on the ultimate goal, victory over sin and death, just as Jesus did. The writer reminded us that opposition, even from those we love, is not an accident but a mark of sharing in Christ’s mission. In Jeremiah, we saw a mirror of Jesus’ rejection, showing that faithfulness to God’s word will always meet resistance. Nevertheless, this truth and outcome should not discourage us, but prepare us to endure our rejection and ordeal. The Christian path is not about avoiding conflict but about standing firm in the face of it.

Amid such trials, Jesus reassures us in the gospel from John (10:27) that His sheep hear His voice, He knows them, and they follow Him. I would like us this weekend to look at this relationship with the Good Shepherd as our anchor when the storms of division threaten to overwhelm us. God’s timing is not bound by human schedules. God works not by chronos (ordinary time) but by kairos (the appointed moment). At His Appointed Time, deliverance always comes, just as Jeremiah was lifted from the cistern at God’s appointed hour. Our task toward success is to listen, follow, and trust that God’s rescue will be sure, even if it’s not immediate.