Jesus lights a fire under his disciples’ zeal in this Sunday’s gospel, warning them of the resistance the gospel would face: “From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three,” he warns. “A father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother.”

“In times as uncertain as these, it is easy to resort to division. It's simple to prey on people's fears. That stuff sells, but it doesn’t stick. It doesn’t last. Most of all, it doesn’t work.”

There’s been a sharp spike in the contempt that partisans express for their opponents, according to Pew Research Center polling. More than 4 in 10 Democrats and Republicans say the other party’s policies are so misguided that they pose a threat to the nation.