STANDING WITH CHRIST IN A HOSTILE WORLD

Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Bible Readings: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53

A young lady once shared her experience with me about her workplace. While many of her colleagues inflated reports and took bribes, she refused to join them. As a result, they began to hate her - some mocked her as “too holy,” others excluded her completely. She told me it was lonely at times, but she would rather stand with God than compromise her faith and values.

This is a picture of what the Christian life looks like. To live faithfully is often to struggle against opposition, to endure misunderstanding, and to go against the current of the world. And that is exactly what today’s readings remind us of: that discipleship is not a comfortable walk in the park, but a courageous journey of faith, marked by perseverance, fire, and sometimes even division.

The first reading presents us with the prophet Jeremiah, a man who lived in turbulent times. He spoke God’s truth to a rebellious people, but instead of gratitude, he received persecution. Today, we see him thrown into a cistern, left to die, simply because his message was uncomfortable to the leaders. Jeremiah’s story reminds us that doing God’s will is not always popular. In fact, it may earn us rejection. But like the young woman in our story, Jeremiah remained faithful, and God rescued him.

The Gospel from St. Luke brings this reality into sharp focus. Jesus makes a striking declaration: “I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already!” (Luke 12:49). Fire here is not the fire of destruction, but the purifying fire of God’s love and the Holy Spirit. Fire that burns away sin, lukewarmness, and compromise. But Jesus adds something very uncomfortable: “Do you suppose I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:51).

At first, this seems confusing, because elsewhere Jesus is called the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). How then does He speak of division? The answer lies in the kind of peace He brings. The peace of Christ is not a false peace built on silence, compromise, or ignoring sin. It is a peace founded on truth and justice. And truth, my brothers and sisters, often divides. Families may be split because one person chooses Christ and the other does not. Friends may walk away because they cannot understand your convictions. Faithfulness to the Gospel may put us at odds with the world.

But the second reading offers us some words of encouragement: “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). The Christian life is not a sprint, but a marathon. It requires endurance, discipline, and courage. Like Jeremiah, like Jesus Himself, we may face opposition and rejection. But we are not alone. Christ has already run the race ahead of us, enduring the cross and despising its shame.

Dear friend, today’s message is both challenging and consoling. It challenges us not to seek a comfortable Christianity that avoids the cross, but to embrace the fire of the Gospel, even when it brings division. It consoles us because Christ walks with us, and He assures us that no sacrifice made for Him is ever wasted. Therefore, as Christians, we must stand firm for truth, even if it makes us unpopular. We must choose Christ above fleeting comfort, compromise, and human approval.

Let us then pray for the courage of Jeremiah, the perseverance urged in Hebrews, and the fire of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus. May our lives burn brightly with the light of Christ, even if the world does not understand. For in the end, it is only His truth that sets us free (John 8:32). Amen.