In the early part of the 17th century, Italian Astronomer Galileo (I guess he kind of achieved “Prince” status since he went by a single name) published his theory that the earth revolved around the sun (heliocentrism) instead of the sun, and other heavenly bodies, revolving around the earth. Copernicus (another apparent rock idol) had made the same proposal based on his earlier mathematical models. Galileo’s version of heliocentrism was accepted by some and rejected by others (renowned astronomer, Tycho Brahe, for example). The Church, coming soon after the Protestant Reformation and the Council of Trent (which clarified Catholic doctrine) resisted Galileo’s theories based on two concerns. One being that it seemed to reject Biblical teaching that the earth was at the center and the sun moved. For example, in the book of Joshua (Joshua 10:12-13) it states that the sun stood still, as opposed to its normal course, during a battle. Secondly, that there was not, at this point in history, a unified consensus supporting Galileo. And as such, the Church could not risk further division, following Luther’s initial splintering, based on unproven speculation. In the end, Galileo would be proven correct regarding the movement of the sun and earth. But not before much division within the Church and the scientific community occurred.
1 Corinthians 1:10:“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment”.
The United States became a severely divided nation in 1861 as North fought against South over the issue of slavery. Over whether one class of people were allowed to hold captive another. Illinois Catholic Charities stopped working with adoptions and foster care after the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act took effect in 2011, as they refused to comply with the law’s requirement that state-funded agencies place children with same-sex couples. And more recently, The United Methodist Church split primarily due to decades long disagreements over LBGTQ issues, particularly regarding same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy, leading to a mass exodus of congregations.
Similar issues exist in Judaism. Many on the outside of Judaism looking in see Jews as a monolithic faith. A Jew is a Jew is a Jew. Not realizing that Judaism faces the same sense of division as in Christianity. There are three main segments of Judaism. Orthodoxy (the traditional and original arm of Judaism that was the only form of the faith during Jesus’ time), Reform (most liberal wing of Judaism) and Conservative (somewhere in between the other two). The State of Israel only recognizes Orthodox Jews are fully Jewish. Only validating the Reform and Conservative movements for purposes of immigration to Israel and citizenship.
Division. It is not what God wanted for his people.
But here is the reality as Jesus states it in Matthew:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.”
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus teaching in the Temple during the feast of the Tabernacles (or, Sukkot, for today’s Jews). He is again preaching in an authoritative way. This, plus the miracles He was performing, convinced many that He was who He had claimed to be…the Son of God. But for others they saw Him as an imposter and sought to have Him killed. He could not be the real Messiah because the Messiah must come from Bethlehem of Judea, the House of David. They believed, mistakenly, that He came from Galilee. Even the temple guards were divided in that some, who were sent by the Pharisees to arrest Jesus, returned extoling His virtues in how He spoke to the people in ways they had never seen. Nicodemus condemned the other Pharisees for going against Mosaic Law by trying to convict Jesus without evidence.
And from Jeremiah in today’s first reading, we see the Jews in Jerusalem plotting to kill the prophet over the words he had been preaching. Jeremiah foretold the coming destruction of the city by the Babylonians and pleaded for the king to not resist the coming Babylonian army to avoid the collapse of the city and its inhabitants. Most of his contemporaries condemned Jeremiah for speaking the truth. They saw him as a traitor to Israel. In words that foreshadow Jesus’ passion we read:
“Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will be spoken no more.”
Why all this division? Truth. Not that it is true that there is division. It is Truth that is causing all this division. And we all know Pilate’s words to Jesus in the midst of the Passion narrative…“Truth. What is Truth?” I think Jesus answered this question best in Matthew 22:36-40:
Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The first three of the 10 commandments refer to love and worship of God and the next seven govern our relationship with one another. These leave little room for relativistic truth. These commandments are absolute and given to us by God and confirmed by His Son. This truth is the two edged sword. You fall on only one side or the other side. And this is the division in which Jesus speaks of as being inevitable. A by-product of His incarnation. And then to make it even more plain:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
I once asked the Confirmation class that I was teaching one year to answer this question. Who do you say that Jesus is? The answer to this question will determine the rest of your life. It will dictate who your friends are. What your job is. Where you spend your time and your money. Your relationships with your family. How you treat other people. Do you give in to the pursuit of pleasure as the ultimate goal or is the pursuit of heaven, for you and your love ones, the driving force in your life. One question. Two possible answers. And many, many consequences.
I went to see episodes 1 and 2 of Season 5 of The Chosen on Saturday. I think this trailer of Season 5 speaks to this issue of division and the source of much of it.
