In the first reading, prophet Jeremiah warns King Zedekiah about God's judgement upon the king and his people. Although the king had the opportunity to obey God, he refused to take heed of the warning. As a result, both Judah and her king suffered great violence at the hands of the Babylonians.

In the Gospel, Jesus had just given a glimpse of the culmination of his mission when he returns as the Son of Man on the day of judgement. However, Jesus' judgement does not occur only at his return. Already, Jesus is engaged in lighting a fire on earth, and it is making people decide for or against him. Faithfulness to the message and mission of Christ will cause painful conflicts and divisions. To Jesus, the only kinship that matters is that which springs from hearing God's Word and being obedient to it.

Many of us think that being a Christian means an untroubled and peaceful life. Some of Jesus' teachings on forgiveness and peace give us the impression that he came to spread a soft gospel. However, Jesus warns his listeners that Christian discipleship is costly, even causing division in the family. The Gospel challenge is clear. As Christians, we are either for or against Christ. There is still time for decision but do not put it off. The day of judgement may be coming soon. We have been warned.