Reflecting on Luke 12:54-59“As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way…” (Luke 12:58)
We live in an angry, contentious and violent world.
Jesus suggests we need to ‘read the room’, and act accordingly.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone…”
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath…”
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:18,19, 21)
This is how Paul understands and expresses the wisdom of Jesus.
Try hard to reconcile, to make things better, to heal and to bless.
Often people fail to see that their reactions only add fuel to the fire.
If someone shuns or hurts us, we shun and hurt them back.
If someone slaps us on the cheek, we slap them back harder.
This is not the Jesus Way, and it is NOT how Jesus saves us.
Jesus enters this angry, contentious and violent world with grace, mercy and peace.
He is kind to Jews, AND to tax collectors, sexual sinners, Samaritans, Romans.
Who is our adversary right now, and how are we responding to them?
Are we making the effort to restore peace, or are we adding fuel to the fire?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, not all situations can be restored by grace, but help me to at least try, and to leave room for You to do the impossible. Strengthen Your gospel love in my heart, that I might lean more towards grace and mercy, and away from bitterness and revenge. I want to be a peacemaker, as far as it depends on me.
Todays reading reminds me of a text I try to live by – as far as it depends upon me, live at pace with all mankind. And that also brings to mind the following prayer:
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.