Thursday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Luke 12: 49) Perhaps some of Jesus’ disciples (both then and now) wish this gospel verse were a literal statement, looking for a warrior savior who would “take the world by fire!” It would certainly make for a popular movie or computer game. But seriously, it’s somewhat jolting at first read as Luke in today’s gospel reading (Luke 12: 49-53) continues with Jesus preaching to his disciples, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” Really?
What happened to the Prince of peace? Even earlier in Luke’s gospel (1:79) in the Canticle of Zechariah the savior (Jesus) is prophesied to be the one who will “guide our feet into the path of peace.” So what’s the deal with this talk about division?
Well, we know, as did Jesus’ disciples learn, that Jesus did not come literally wielding a sword, setting fires and battling his way across the earth. (In fact, he preached nonviolence.) So, regarding this passage in Luke, biblical commentary tells us that Jesus was speaking ironically to his disciples, perhaps to make a point about the seriousness of the message he was bringing; a message that is met with acceptance or rejection that will be a source of conflict and dissension, sadly, even within families. “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…” (vs 53)
Jesus’ message is not about maintaining the status quo; He brings a “sword” that separates the eager from the contented. (Am I willing to let my life be disrupted by Jesus?) And the “fire” that He came to set the earth ablaze with is the fire of refinement and purification that, like a precious metal being refined in fire, removes our impurities and unwanted elements (the sinful aspects of ourselves) to bring out our spiritual beauty like refined gold and silver. Jesus’ message is about change, allowing ourselves to be changed by God, and about turning the world around.
Jesus is not for the faint of heart. To be a true disciple of Jesus takes conviction, boldness, and courage, and sometimes causes division within families. But the reward is eternal life. For as Paul tells us in the first reading today (Romans 6:19-23), “…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
And that’s much better than a movie.
Eileen Miller