Christ being mocked by the soldiers

First Reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10

Second Reading: Hebrews 12:1-4

Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of 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,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.

Gospel Reading: Luke 12:49-53

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

The Letter to the Hebrews speaks of the Christian life as a race to the finish line. In this analogy, he writes of a great cloud of witnesses: Abraham, Joshua, Rahab, David, and so many others, a cloud that now includes the saints of the Church, lined up on each side of the track, cheering us on. They have run the good race, so they encourage us as we run.

In the ancient Olympic games, athletes would strip themselves of their clothing, so it would not be an impediment to their success. Just so, the author of Hebrews writes, in preparation to run the race toward salvation, we must rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us – pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. We must not allow these to impede us in our race toward the finish line. If we are to successfully persevere in running the race, we must throw off all the burdens and sins that cling to us, because these will weigh us down, slow us down and, eventually, may succeed in dragging us down and out of the race. We don’t want to be carrying anything that takes our breath away or compromises our strength, so that we may “persevere in running the race that lies before us.”

Perseverance is one of the most cited qualities in the NT that must be possessed by those dedicated to the Christian life. Of course, in those early decades of the Church, people often faced persecution when they became identified with this new, peculiar sect that worshipped a carpenter and ate flesh and drank blood. To offer support to another that they may persevere in the faith, then, was not an informal exhortation given in passing, the way we say, “You’ve got this!” or “Keep up the good work” or “Hang in there!” No. To encourage someone to persevere in the faith was a deep, profound word of encouragement, because real threats laid before the early Christians in living the life of the Gospel: threats of unjust discrimination, loss of reputation and position, and even the loss of one’s life. This remains true today among many of our confreres in radical Muslim or communist dominated countries.

While the Olympic runner keeps his or her eyes on the finish line, the Christian running the race toward salvation is to keep his or her eyes on Jesus, “the leader and perfecter of our faith.” Jesus is the one who has preceded us in the faith, and who will perfect us in the faith. Jesus is the one who leads us in the race, and Jesus is the one toward whom we run.

Hebrews reads: “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.” The joy that lay before Jesus as He ran His race of suffering and crucifixion, was the joy of living a life of perfect obedience to the will of the Father, even unto death, and of offering that life of perfect obedience to the Father for the sake of our salvation. Just as Jesus was eager for the joy that lay before Him, so are we to run the race eager for the joy that awaits us, the joy of sharing the very nature of God in His eternal kingdom (2 Pt 1:4).

Jesus had said to His disciples, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:10-11). Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father. There He hopes to share the joy He has received with us. He hopes to have us enter into the joy of that eternal dance of divine love that is the life of the Holy Trinity.

 “Consider” Hebrews reads, “how [Jesus] endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.” Jesus endured the wrath of sinners as an example for us, that we might remain strong in the race when we face opposition because of our faith in Him. Jesus endured until death, shedding His blood on the cross for us. We must endure in our faithfulness to Him until our natural deaths. Hopefully, we will not be required to shed our blood, but others have and many still do, and we hold them high in our Church out of respect for them, for all those, known and unknown, who sacrificed everything, including their lives, for the sake of remaining faithful to Jesus.

Jeremiah was a prophet of God who endured great opposition because the oracle of the LORD that he shared with the king and the people was not what they wanted to hear. So, they killed him. Jesus was the Messiah of God come to free us from the chains of sin. He, too, endured great opposition because the word He preached, the message He gave to the people, maddened those who were in charge. They could not bear Him. So, they killed Him.

Here in the U. S., we don’t often face the opportunity to give our lives for the sake of our faith in Jesus. But we may face opposition even still. Perhaps at work, where co-workers ridicule our putting up a picture of the Sacred Heart in our cubicle. Perhaps among our friends, who don’t understand why we take our devotion to Jesus so seriously but tolerate it for the sake of our company. Perhaps even at home, as Jesus says, where three will be against two, where a father will oppose his son, or a mother oppose her daughter. In so many Catholic homes there is the tension between parents who deeply desire their children to love and serve Jesus, and their child or children who don’t yet see the great gift set before them. In meeting the catechumens and candidates approaching the Church seeking baptism or full communion via the OCIA, we so often hear the stories of those who face opposition from their families because they are called to become Catholic.

Jesus says He did not come to bring peace, but division. All must decide where they stand with Jesus, and that decision will cause division. The decision to follow Jesus, the decision to follow Him for real, not just for an hour on the occasional Sunday, the decision to follow Him for real is going to upset our lives. We will have to act differently. Our priorities will change. Those who love us may wonder at or be cynical about the depth of our devotion. Is it real? Has she really become one of those crazies who pray in front of abortion clinics? Is he really going on that mission trip to Haiti? He wants to go to church on Sunday mornings now instead of playing golf! She’s serving food at the food pantry! I can’t believe he’s giving up that great job and salary to enter the priesthood!  There are those who have lost their jobs, those who have been written out of wills and find themselves no longer welcome at family reunions. There are those who have lost friends, and those who have resigned from their jobs because the priorities of their company are immoral, and the know they can no longer work there and follow Jesus.

But what are we gaining? We are gaining the company of the saints, everlasting life, the grace of salvation, and of sharing in the very nature of God! This life is so short, and in twenty or thirty years all the people we now think of as famous will have been forgotten. But we who live for Jesus, who are willing to give everything, even to die for Jesus, will live forever in the mind and heart of the One who created us and calls us home to His kingdom.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.