C: 20th Sun of OrdTime (18 Aug 2019) - WHAT IS WRONG WITH DIVISIONS? (Lk 12:49-53)

Our gospel text is often understood as the beginning of family disunity especially with Jesus’ statement: “They will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother...”(Lk 12:53). Most English Bibles (cf. CSB, KJV, NASB, NRSV, etc.) feature the verb “divide” as a direct translation of the original Greek “diamerizo”. Interestingly, some Filipino Bibles elevate this family feud into a higher level of serious dispute:“Ang amay kag ang iya anak nga lalaki magakontrahanay” (Hiligaynon) and “Ang amahan ug ang iyang anak nga lalaki magbinatokay” (Bisaya).

There is nothing wrong with these translations as the idea of clash is also contained in the word “diamerizo”. However, we readers are conditioned with the contemporary meaning of the English word “division” as something synonymous to quarrels, misunderstandings, tensions, and even violence and war. In effect, we read our pericope as a kind of a domestic war on account of dissenting views ad intra between presumed Christ-followers and traditionalist Jews. We need, hence, to soften our language since we are also responsible to the young generation’s non-violent reception of the text. Remember, translation is both a faithful rendition of an original text and a hermeneutical communication to the present readers.

If we look lexically at “diamerizo” in its semantic meaning, we can trace that it is derived from the two Greek words “dia” (“through”) and “meros” (“part”). Etymologically, “diamerizo” refers to a kind of separation and partition where the whole is divided into smaller parts. In real life, there is nothing wrong with partition as it is a staple activity in our day-to-day life, e.g. dividing a cake, separating edible stuff from its cover, and distributing food rations. There is indeed some validity to the translation of Ang Biblia, a 1905 Filipino translation (rev. 2001): “Sila’y mangagkakabaha-bahagi…”. The Magandang Balita Biblia (2012) captures the same sense with the verb “mahahati”. By and large, “diamerizo” can be innocent of any chaotic tag that it has often received. Along these lines, we can say that separation is part of the usual cycle of life where children, once of proper age, will have to leave their parents behind to raise their own families and build their own homes. Reading the text this way removes its pejorative tone that criminalizes those who follow radically Christ as anti-family or even anti-society.

On a greater scale, we should not view Church leaders and Human Rights advocates, when they express their dissenting views, as being anti-society and anti-government. The recent sedition charges filed against the Vice-President of the Philippines, oppositionist senators, Catholic Church leaders, and vocal citizens against the President on account of their involvement in inciting rebellion due to their alleged connection to a “whistleblower” named Bikoy, is a clear case of unjustly labeling critics as sowing chaos in a peaceful society. Conversely, they are merely analyzing the moral repercussions of current practices and effects of governance which they judge as improper, and at times, oppressive and marginalizing of the poor. What is wrong with voicing out one’s opinion in a democratic society?

Indeed, dichotomizing the society between anti-government and pro-government is counter-productive for it closes the doors for a critical collaboration between the government and concerned citizens. These binary simplifications in reality are the main culprits in the perpetuation of disputes, violence and civil discords. Opportunely, our gospel today challenges us to look at citizens with dissenting views accordingly, i.e. to understand their contexts, their noble goals and their main message… before type-casting them as rebels of the society.

- Rex Fortes, CM