First Reading • Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Psalm • Psalm 40:2, 3, 4, 18
Second Reading • Hebrews 12:1-4
Gospel • Luke 12:49-53
A man once said, “I avoid conflict at all costs. In fact, I even lost an argument with my GPS… I said turn left, it said turn right… and now I live in a lake.”
Sometimes, in our desire to keep the peace or avoid confrontation, we end up somewhere we were never meant to be; even in deeper trouble. That’s why Jesus challenges us not to seek peace at any price, but to stay on the path of truth, even when it leads through difficult terrain.
We all want to live in peace with others. Most of us will go out of our way to avoid conflict, not to offend anyone, and to maintain good relationships.
We like to be on friendly terms with everyone or at least not give anyone a reason to be upset with us.
However, there are times when we take this desire for peace too far. This attitude is often called “peace at any price.” For example, we might let others walk all over us because we don’t want to cause trouble.
We’d rather be taken advantage of than confront someone for their bad behavior.
In relationships, couples sometimes avoid addressing issues to keep the peace, even when their spouse is disrespectful or dismissive.
Instead of standing up and insisting on basic respect, we allow others to speak rudely or hurtfully, giving them no consequences.
Often, Christians will allow others to mistreat them and then justify their inaction by appealing to their faith. They claim they are “turning the other cheek” or “being peacemakers.”
They point to how Jesus kept silent when falsely accused and went willingly to His death. But in reality, what they fail to admit is that they are often just too afraid to stand up for themselves. They lack the courage to call others to account for their actions.
In such cases, faith becomes a convenient excuse for cowardice.
As a Church, we too have sometimes fallen into the trap of seeking “peace at any price” with the world around us. Rather than confronting injustice and speaking out against oppressive regimes, we’ve sometimes remained silent, hoping to avoid persecution.
At times, we have accepted cultural trends we knew were harmful, thinking that if we stayed quiet and went along, things wouldn’t get any worse.
But that strategy rarely works. History has shown that tyrants always demand more. They don’t stop at oppressing one group, they extend their injustices further. And cultural trends that violate human dignity rarely stop with one issue.
Take the anti-life movement, for example. First, it targeted the unborn. Now it turns against the sick, the elderly, and others deemed “unworthy” of life.
If we do not stand up and speak out, such injustices will only grow.
When Jesus says He came not to bring peace but division, He is reminding us that there are some things worth disturbing the peace for.
Some truths are so important that they’re worth risking friendships over; even worth dividing families. Jesus was not afraid of rejection, and neither should we be.
Today’s second reading speaks of “a great cloud of witnesses”—the saints and martyrs who have gone before us. The word martyr literally means “witness.”
These are men and women who chose to be killed rather than compromise their faith. Think of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. When dragged before the authorities, he boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God, even though it meant being stoned to death. He is just one of many.
In fact, more Christians were martyred in the 20th century alone than in all the previous centuries combined. And persecution hasn’t stopped.
We are blessed to live in a time and place where we enjoy religious freedom. But that can change quickly.
The question is: Are we prepared to defend our freedom to live the Gospel? Or will we quietly surrender it, one unjust law at a time, in the name of a false peace?
If we want to preserve our freedom and pass on our faith to future generations, we must learn from the saints who went before us.
We cannot afford to seek peace at any price. Instead, we must work for a society that is just, compassionate, and grounded in truth, while keeping our eyes fixed on our true home in Heaven.
