20th Sunday in Ordinary Time ( C-cycle )
August 19, 2007

Jesus says, “I have come to set the earth on fire!” and not only that, but “I wish it were already blazing!” Jesus, the impatient arsonist…? What happened to that peace on earth the angels were singing about at the beginning of St. Luke’s Gospel? Now we hear, “Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” I like those angels at Christmastime better. What’s going on here? Isn’t Jesus contradicting all His sayings about loving one another?

 

Not really. In the Old Testament the true prophets of the Lord denounced the false prophets who cried “Peace! Peace!” when there was no peace. What they were criticizing was false peace, the kind equated with not making waves, with keeping your mouth shut when injustice reigns in your society. Jesus had no patience with that kind of peace.

  

Jesus didn’t shut up when challenge and even confrontation were called for. When the High Priest asked Him if He was the Messiah, this Galilean peasant dared to say, “I am and you will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. “When Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, the representative of the Superpower asks Jesus if He is a King, He says, “For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.”

 

We can find a counter example in an episode in the life of Billy Graham. Before I start this, let me emphasize I’m not against Billy Graham. I think he’s done an untold amount of good: he’s brought thousands to Christ. My father used to go to sleep Sunday nights listening to Billy Graham. We had a running joke. I’d say something like, “What a scandal, the father of a priest listening to a Protestant!” And he’d say something like, “If you could preach like that Protestant, you’d have your own program.”

 

Anyway, last week Time Magazine had a cover story, “The Political Confessions of Billy Graham” about his relationship with several presidents. Years ago, a tape was made public in which one of the presidents said the Jews who run the media were destroying the country, and Billy Graham went along with him! Today, Billy Graham feels terrible about that. He says, “I never thought that way, and I was just trying to agree with what he said or something.” Peace, at what a price…

 

Some time ago, a salesman told me he would talk to his boss and try to get a better price for me. His exact words were, “I’ll try to Jew him down.” I said, “I don’t appreciate the anti-Semitic remark.” You know what he said? He said, “That’s a technical term!” Am I saying I’m better than Billy Graham? I corrected a salesman who was looking for my business. I had the power there. That was a piece of cake.  That’s a lot different from sitting in the Oval Office and saying,” I don’t appreciate the anti-Semitic remark, Mr. President.”  Being agreeable is not the highest calling. Being strong in the cause of justice is. It’s not easy to confront someone in the name of principle, especially when that person has power over us, when that person is someone we want to impress, when that person is someone we want simply to like us. When the moment of challenge comes, all of us, --- you and I and Billy Graham--- should pray for the strength and courage of Christ.