First reading Jeremiah 38:4-6,8-10
‘Do not let the prophet die’
The king’s leading men spoke to the king. ‘Let Jeremiah be put to death: he is unquestionably disheartening the remaining soldiers in the city, and all the people too, by talking like this. The fellow does not have the welfare of this people at heart so much as its ruin.’ ‘He is in your hands as you know,’ King Zedekiah answered ‘for the king is powerless against you.’ So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the well of Prince Malchiah in the Court of the Guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the well, only mud, and into the mud Jeremiah sank.
Ebed-melech came out from the palace and spoke to the king. ‘My lord king,’ he said ‘these men have done a wicked thing by treating the prophet Jeremiah like this: they have thrown him into the well, where he will die.’ At this the king gave Ebed-melech the Cushite the following order: ‘Take three men with you from here and pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the well before he dies.’
Responsorial Psalm 39(40):2-4,18
Lord, come to my aid!
I waited, I waited for the Lord
and he stooped down to me;
he heard my cry.
He drew me from the deadly pit,
from the miry clay.
He set my feet upon a rock
and made my footsteps firm.
He put a new song into my mouth,
praise of our God.
Many shall see and fear
and shall trust in the Lord.
As for me, wretched and poor,
the Lord thinks of me.
You are my rescuer, my help,
O God, do not delay.
Second reading Hebrews 12:1-4
We should keep running steadily in the race we have started
With so many witnesses in a great cloud on every side of us, we too, then, should throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin that clings so easily, and keep running steadily in the race we have started. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which was still in the future, he endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right of God’s throne. Think of the way he stood such opposition from sinners and then you will not give up for want of courage. In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of death.
Gospel Luke 12:49-53
How I wish it were blazing already!
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!
‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’
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Living out the prophetic mission
“The king’s leading men spoke to the king, ‘Let Jeremiah be put to death, he is unquestionably disheartening the remaining soldiers in the city, and all the people too, by talking like this…’…So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the well…” (1st reading). The reason the prophet Jeremiah was thrown into the well was that he criticised the people for their corruption and injustice towards the poor. Some people did not like his message, and as a result, he was cast into the pit. This passage challenges us on how committed we are to living out our prophetic mission, which we received at baptism. Like Jeremiah, we are called to be God’s prophet, His spokesperson, with the purpose of leading others to God, even if it means facing ridicule, criticism and opposition.
In the Gospel, Jesus Himself said that He came to bring division, not peace, because those who fully commit to living out the gospel values and speaking God’s truth will likely encounter conflict with those who do not share our faith or values. Often, we tend to blend into worldly values to maintain external peace. Today, let us choose to remain true to our integrity and convictions, even if it may create tensions in our relationships with others.
Reflective question:
In what ways do the words of Jesus about bringing division challenge my understanding of peace?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
