Yielding to Righteousness

 Reflection on Today's Readings,  Thursday of 29th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, October 21st, 2021
Texts: Romans 6:19-23; Ps. 1:1-4.6; Luke12:49-53
Today's first reading reminds us that St. Paul taught what he did. He was once an ardent persecutor of Christians but when he changed he turned ardent herald of the gospel and promoter of Jesus Christ. Today he teaches us to do the same, saying, "For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification." He tells us that there is no gain in doing evil. In turning to God we gain sanctification and eternal life. Doing evil only leads to destruction and death.  He puts it clearly thus: "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Jesus tells us, today, that he has not come to give peace but to cast fire on the earth. This fire he further explains in term of division. This is understandable because in this world they are two opposing forces: evil and good, whichever side you stand you will have to contend with the other. More over, new way that changes status quo is not often accepted easily and as such brings division as some people accept it. There will be  division because Jesus is on the side of good and has come to challenge the status quo. He has come to change the status quo. Jesus has come to conquer the forces of evil and usher in the kingdom of God. He has come to introduce a way of life that challenges the status quo.
Jesus only reaffirm today what He has taught before that following Him requires detachment. He says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27). Today Jesus expresses the detachment differently, saying, "for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” In these words Jesus simply reminded them what following Him means for them: they had to choose Christ over and above relations. Ours is not different: following Him also means for us choosing Him over and above relations. Following Christ sets us against those who oppose Christ and His gospel. They will not see Christ to fight, we will be the christs they will see and fight. We need to prepare for such occasion.

God our Father, we thank You for Your love, help us to yield ourselves to righteousness, that we might gain sanctification and eternal life. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke