Gospel Reflection for The 14th day of July in the year of Our Lord, 2025
Matthew 10:34—11:1
34 Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. 35 For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's enemies shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for me, shall find it. 40 He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet: and he that receiveth a just man in the name of a just man, shall receive the reward of a just man. 42 And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he passed from thence, to teach and preach in their cities.
The Douay Rheims explains:
[35] "I came to set a man at variance": Not that this was the end or design of the coming of our Saviour; but that his coming and his doctrine would have this effect, by reason of the obstinate resistance that many would make, and of their persecuting all such as should adhere to him.
Once again, the Prince of Peace makes clear that His coming would indeed be “set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted,” as prophesied by Simeon. While we, as Christians, are to make every effort to live in peace with all, Jesus did not bring peace to earth in His earthly ministry. Indeed, He brought great division. When He comes again in glory, having defeated the forces of evil, then peace will reign in His eternal kingdom. Repeatedly, He warns us that we will not find peace in this life. The harder we try to follow God and His teachings, the more we will suffer.
It is such a shame that so many in our time present Christianity in ways that are in absolute opposition to the words of our Lord. The prominent heresy among Protestants currently is the “Prosperity Doctrine.” They teach that God wants you to be happy, healthy and wealthy and that is His promise to Christians. The truth is the opposite. Jesus promises us suffering here and happiness in Heaven. But, in Catholicism too, there is much “hippie dippy kumbaya”... a lot of let's just all get along. That kind of nonsense causes us to diminish the reality of sin and hell.
The truth is, Jesus gave us the one true religion. Jesus, in His words and through His Church, gives us the absolute truth about what is right and wrong. Something is either true or false, right or wrong. To believe in Christ is to embrace truth and right, and to turn one's back on what is false and wrong. That is the ultimate division. So long as Satan is the king of this world, the citizens of the Kingdom of God, Christians, will always be at odds with the ideals, morals and values of the majority of people in our nation or in any nation. To say, “Christ is King” is indeed treasonous in this world. We cannot expect peace. We cannot expect acceptance. We will always be at variance until we enter Heaven.... and Jesus promises us that before He comes again in glory, things will get worse. “Those who endure until the end will be saved.”
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2025 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5BHFZ7X
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic