Some gospel readings are very easy to understand, like when Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Gospel readings that contain parables make us think harder to understand what Jesus is telling us. But what about todayís reading?
Jesus says he did not come to establish peace, but division. Is this the same Jesus?

Jesus is on the way (en te hode, in Greek) to Jerusalem to die. He has great anguish about his baptism, which means his approaching death.

After Jesusí death, the earth will be set on fire. This means that the earth will be purified. It is not until after Jesusí death and resurrection that people can understand that Jesus is both man and God. It is then that purification begins and we must choose to be for God or against him. This decision will divide parts of society down to its most basic unit, the family. There will be peace for those who are for him, but not for those who are against him.

Not everyone makes the decision to be for Jesus. The last three generations of my family contained members who decided for Jesus, and those who did not. And there are others who are in between, who know Jesus in name only, but not in their hearts. As Jesus said, our decisions do not result in peace but in division.

Donít get me wrong, my family is a loving one and we are not divisive. We try to bring each other closer to Christ in our own ways. But, we are divided when it comes to choosing Jesus or something else as being first in our lives.

The Ten Commandments provide a means for us to examine where our choices lie.

1. Have no strange gods before me! Our materialistic society has many gods and idols for us to worship. Television advertisements tell us that we need designer clothes, new cars, and the latest gismos. If the majority of our time is spent chasing these gods, we are not choosing the one true God.

2. Do not take the name of God in vain! The Israelites were not allowed to say the name of God aloud. Today, some people use the words "God" and "Jesus" as adjectives and exclamations. These people do not honor Godóthey are not for him.

3. Keep holy the Lordís day! I prepare couples for marriage. Recent statistics show that during the first five years of marriage, couples choose wrong priorities. By putting their jobs first, their families become stressed and their church attendance decreases. We must choose God first, next family, and then our job. My personal experience has shown that jobs come and go and that I havenít always played a big part in the decision.

4. Honor your father and mother! Young children are for God when they give their parents honor because of their greater knowledge and experience. Teenagers test this model as they develop into individuals. After teen years, children rediscover that their parents really do have wisdom. I believe the real test of being for God is when parents are elderly and begin to loose their mental and physical abilities that society admires so much. I visit an assisted living home where many of the elderly require better care by their children then what they are getting. One lady, rest her soul, used to drink out of the toilet in an attempt to get more of her sonís attention. When God said, honor your father and mother, he meant for life! When we choose God to be first, loving our fathers and mothers will be easier.

The remaining Ten Commandments involve killing, adultery, stealing, false witness, and coveting. They, too, are easier to obey when we choose to be for God rather than against him.

Beyond the family unit of society, we must also choose to be for or against God. Consider the financially rich and the poor. When the rich in America help the poor, we are for God. But, when riches are used to oppress the poor, then we are against God. The owner of a business should share with his employees what God has given to the owner, rather than exploiting the workers for his or her own benefit.

There also are life issues. The most obvious is the taking of the life of an unborn child. The Church helps us in our decision about this by very clear teachings. But many people feel that they have the choice to kill what God has created with their help. Choosing life is choosing to be for God.

Jesus came to set the earth on fire, to purify it by asking us to be for him or against him. Your choice now may result in a decision that lasts for eternity. Which do you choose?