Daily Gospel Reflection for October 24, 2024

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Luke 12:49-53

Jesus has hard words for us today: blazing, anguish, against, division.

Jesus talking about setting the world on fire and wishing it were blazing could be looked at in one of two ways. He wants us on fire with the Holy Spirit or He wants to burn away all the repercussions of sin that He is witnessing on earth. Or maybe He offers both, that in burning with the Holy Spirit, we burn away our attachments to sin and disorder in our life.

Jesus suffers during His Passion in order that the barrier between us and God is eliminated. Why then does He tell us He is going to cause division?

Jesus knows that some people will refuse this gift of redemption. Some people will choose not to be baptized and will remain separated from God.

He could be more literal and say division between the repentant and the unrepentant, the redeemed and the unredeemed, but He wants to show the drastic cost of not following Him—even families will be divided in their choice to accept or deny Him as the Messiah.

He is not trying to turn one person against another. He is saying it is inevitable that those who accept Him as redeemer will be set against those who do not. Why? Because they will live differently.

Jesus generously offers the opportunity to say yes to Him while also helping us understand how the world might react to this radical way of living.

Ponder:

Are you willing to sacrifice for Jesus? Have you ever found yourself divided against a friend or family member because of your relationship with Jesus?