We are all aware of the polarization in our country as many of our leaders tend to emphasize more how we disagree than how we agree. This polarization often leads to the demonization of our “opponent” or our “enemy.” It is quite disheartening at times to read social media and to see the vile attacks on one another. In today’s first reading we hear that we have the gift of “grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” God wants us to share this gift with both our “friends” and our “enemies.” Jesus puts this challenge before us as disciples in his Sermon on the Mount:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48).
Jesus wants us as his disciples to be ministers of reconciliation and instruments of God’s peace. This requires that we watch our language and our posting on social media. Jesus tells us to stop judging and to stop condemning (Matthew 7:1) which means we should stop demonizing our “opponent.”
Some of the Jewish scribes in today’s Gospel demonize Jesus: “’He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘By the prince of demons he drives out demons.’” Jesus as a minister of reconciliation tries to engage and teach them: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”
Let us strive to follow the example of Jesus and let the grace, mercy, and peace of God flow from us to all that we meet. Let us strive to avoid all caricatures and demonization of our opponents. As ministers of reconciliation, we are called to strive to bridge the gap and to work to end the polarization in our society. The grace and the love of God empower us to be instruments of God’s peace.
Image: “IMG_3010H Pierre Dulin. 1669-1748. Paris. Jésus Christ guérissant les malades au bord du lac de Genezareth. Jesus Christ Healing the Sick at Lake Genezareth. Vers 1737. Montpellier Musée Fabre.” by jean louis mazieres is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.