“I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided:
father against son
   and son against father,
mother against daughter
   and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
   and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:49-53)

These are shocking words – especially coming from the lips of Jesus! The Prince of Peace declares that he has not come to bring peace, but rather, division. This division extends into the most intimate of relationships: the family.

If we find these words difficult and harsh, we are not alone. Jesus’ original audience would also have been disturbed by them. Even more importantly, Jesus himself was upset and overwhelmed by his message: “How I wish it were already kindled! What stress I am under until it is completed!” (12:49-50)

This difficulty of this passage often leads to its neglect. You will not hear Focus on the Family speak on Luke 12:49-53 anytime in the near future. Preaching on this passage in “family-friendly” environments can be risky. I have personally experienced this: the most negative response I ever received in my preaching career came when I preached this passage in a former church.

In order to truly understand Jesus’ words, we must refrain from extremes. There are ditches on both sides of this passage. Some use this text to excuse their hatred, harshness, and cruelty toward others “in the name of God.” They assume they are “following Jesus” by taking the moral high ground and rejecting their loved ones. In extreme cases, cultists have used this passage to encourage their followers to completely and utterly reject their families and friends, leaving them under the sole influence of cult leaders. On the other side of the ditch, some have completely ignored this passage, or worse, assumed that Jesus would never have said such things. These people forget that Jesus was both credible and crucifiable. If his message was simply a wimpy cry for spineless love – “Why can’t we just all get along?” – and not a call to godly renewal, there would never have been any reason to crucify him.

Our challenge is to rightly understand this passage in the context of Jesus’ teaching. We must not isolate it and make it the sole purpose of Jesus’ mission. At the same time, we must not ignore it and act as if Jesus never said it. Furthermore, we must not “water it down” – it certainly shocked Jesus’ hearers and brought stress into Jesus’ life. Any interpretation which removes this edge is certainly mistaken.

A World Ablaze

This is the shocking announcement that overwhelmed even Jesus: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” This is only one of many purpose statements Jesus offered to summarize the significance of his ministry. Others include:

• “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Mt. 5:17)
• “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” (Mk 1:38)
• “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38)
• “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” (John 9:39)
• “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
• “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.” (John 12:27)
• “I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness.” (John 12:46)
• “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.” (John 16:27)
• “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” (John 18:37)

In contrast to the shocking purpose statement, “I came to bring fire to the earth,” most of the purpose statements above are positive. They primarily have to do with God’s redemptive purpose being accomplished in and through Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus statement, “I came to bring fire to the earth,” must be integrated and harmonized with these purpose statements. It must not be positioned at odds with his overarching redemptive purpose. In some way, “I came to bring fire to the earth” must help us understand God’s redemptive purpose better. What, then, does Jesus mean?

Fire destroys and purifies. It is a symbol of judgment and of renewal. Sometimes it symbolizes God’s presence (the burning bush) or God’s Spirit (pillar of fire, tongues of fire). John the Baptist’s prophecy of the coming Messiah combines these images: “One who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with^ the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).

The fire Jesus speaks of may refer to the purging fires of divine judgment or to the purifying fire of the Holy Spirit’s transforming presence – or both. Jesus’ anxiety over this fire may have to do with the terrifying implications of divine judgment or it may have to do with his tremendous desire to see the world purged of sin and purified in righteousness. Or, again, it may refer to a combination of both.

Baptism of Blood

Jesus also speaks of an upcoming baptism that brings him stress until its completion. Obviously, the baptism he speaks of is more than the water baptism he has already experienced.[1] Here the baptism has to do with being plunged into “a life-threatening immersion in water or fire.”[2] It most likely refers to his own death, his baptism in blood, the great cleansing act of atonement. In the progression of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is currently on the way to Jerusalem.[3] Aware that the Spirit cannot be given until his suffering and death, every step toward Jerusalem only increases Jesus’ anxious fear.

This baptism is Jesus’ personal passion. His passion does not begin during his final hours in Jerusalem; it accompanies him throughout his entire ministry. His refusal to establish God’s kingdom by “worldly means” (established at the beginning of his ministry in his wilderness temptation) was his first step of personal suffering that ultimately culminates in the cross.

Throughout his entire ministry, the knowledge of the inevitable end of his ministry deeply disturbed Jesus. Here, we are given a window into how overwhelmed and disturbed he actually was. This is the passion before the Passion. No one ever loved like Jesus. Because his love for others was so full, consistent, and complete, no one ever felt greater pain. He was truly “the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” Because his compassion was perfect, he “felt the pain” of those around him. The ignorance, selfishness, hatred, and pettiness of others must have hurt him deeply.

Families Divided

“Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” These are harsh words. The “earth fire” and the “baptism with which Jesus is to be baptized” brings great disruption and deep division into the world.

This is especially true in the environment where the closest relationships are experienced – the family. The family is the place where we learn who we are, how to live, and what to value. It is a place of identity and community. It is a place where we belong and find acceptance. Both in the past and in the present, the family was held up as an important foundation of society.

Because of this, Jesus’ words are shocking. Jesus reveals that following him will require difficult decisions and conflict with deep loyalties. Many early Christians experienced the pain of being shunned by their family because of their beliefs. This continues today when converts from Judaism, Islam, and certain Asian faiths embrace Christianity. When this occurs, the church must make every effort to be a new family for the outcasts.

Strangely enough, a commitment to Jesus may result in the breakdown of a family. This is completely at odds with much contemporary Christian teaching that guarantees that adding Jesus to a family will automatically have positive effects for all. Rarely do we hear that a commitment to Jesus as one’s highest value may encounter resistance and rejection from friends and family members. The guilt may be increased if we allow the powerbrokers of the gods of family and tradition to proclaim the supremacy of family relations over the priority of relationship with God.

The family – as valuable as it is – must be dethroned from its absolute claims. Our ultimate focus must not be on the family, but on God. Our priority must not be family first, but God first. God alone has sole claim to our absolute allegiance and utmost loyalty. Anything less creates an idol.

Usually, idols are something good raised to the level of supreme. It involves treating something as ultimate that is less than ultimate. God – not family, money, job, sex, or anything else – must provide ultimate meaning for our lives. When we put our faith in these others things to provide ultimate meaning, they fail us. “Idolatry is not the absence of faith. It is faith in the wrong thing.”[4] Jesus did not seek to subvert families, but rather, he “espoused a vision of God and God’s agenda for change which often stood in direct conflict with other absolute claims, like wealth, possessions, land, culture, religion and family.”[5]

Practical Insights from a Difficult Text

What a strange text! As difficult and controversial as it is, it offers practical insights to help us live the Christian life.

Jesus reveals that divine redemption exposes deeply rooted problems. Healing cannot come without pain. In order to heal we must often wound. In order to remove cancer, a surgeon must slice open the body and cut out the malignant cells. This is painful, yet necessary, in order to deal with such a deeply invasive evil. Sometimes in order to allow a broken bone to heal properly, it must be re-broken and reset. Pain must be inflicted in order to bring deep healing. The infliction of pain is not the ultimate goal, but a tragic consequence, of the procedure. It reflects the depth of the problem.

Jesus reveals how desperate the human situation is and the drastic measures that must be taken to save it. We need complete healing. The divine surgery will hurt – deeply! The surgery cuts to the depths of our humanity.[6] Only those who desire ultimate healing will be willing to pay the ultimate price. Not all will agree with the diagnosis. Many will find it too extreme.[7] Consequently, divisions will arise over the stated remedy. Subsequently, less invasive and painful alternatives will be advocated.

Jesus does not shy from the reality of a broken world. The world is broken by sin. It is not as it should be. Human love, even in its best form, often fails to reflect divine love. Because of this, even our best intentions are often misunderstood. Our most noble attempts to love others are sometimes rejected. Our greatest attempts to help others may be spurned.

Jesus is a realist. He wants his disciples to know what to expect in a broken world. In the current state of things, “family conflict is now a necessary consequence of Jesus’ mission. It is stated so strongly in order that disciples may face this reality and make their decision for discipleship with full awareness of the pain ahead. Otherwise, commitment is likely to collapse when the disciple bangs into hard reality.”[8]

If we are aware that our commitment to Jesus may bring conflict with others, then we are prepared to face the pain this brings. We will not be surprised when our faith does not bring comfort and consolation, but rather, brings conflict and division. We will have a mature perspective of faith: “A lot of us think faith is something that is supposed to make us comfortable. We think we should go to church and gain a sense of peace. If all we want is peace, we could find our way to a beach, park, or spa.”[9]

Paradoxically, peace brings conflict. Peace is both the means and goal of God’s redemption. The Prince of Peace absolutely refuses to use violence, warfare, and hatred as tools of the kingdom. “If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews” (John 18:36). Jesus’ commitment to peaceful expressions of love brought him great conflict, proving the paradox to be true: If you really want to cause conflict, work for peace![10]

Jesus’ great love received great resistance because it penetrated to the deepest levels of human experience and exposed the root causes of evil. He declared that the world – and all its powers – were upside-down and needed to be put placed right-side-up.

Jesus’ great love produced great conflict. For this reason, we must remember that “[t]he presence of conflict does not necessarily signal the displeasure of God with the leader. Sometimes leaders encounter conflict precisely because they are doing the right thing.”[11]

Tim Ursiny points out four possible responses to conflict: (1) ignore it; (2) panic; (3) become angry; or, (4) acceptance.[12] Jesus calls us to accept conflict as a possible consequence of love. Not all love is received. To love only when it is likely that our love will be positively and painlessly received is to rarely love at all. The safe way, the easiest route, the most painless path, is not always the best! To love is to risk. To refuse to risk is to never truly love at all.

True peace must involve reconciliation to God. The bumper sticker slogan is true: “No God – No peace. Know God – Know Peace.” Ultimately, there is no true or lasting peace apart from a restored relationship to God. C. S. Lewis was right, “God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on... God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”[13] Though we may find peace elsewhere, the only lasting peace is found when we are at one with God – the source and sustainer of life!

What about Peace on Earth?

Luke’s Christmas story ends with the angels proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill among people” (Luke 2:14). Jesus’ pronouncement that he “did not come to bring peace to the earth” seems to be at odds with this declaration of universal peace. However, His pronouncement is in complete harmony with Simeon’s prophecy to Mary: “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:34-35).

Before the complete peace the angels pronounce can be experienced, God’s redemptive work must penetrate to the very heart of all that thwarts peace – human sin at its deepest levels. This act, like a surgeon’s scalpel, brings further division, disruption, and pain, but in the end, it results in the deepest healing – the only healing that brings lasting peace.

Because this divisive act serves the purpose of ultimate redemption, even the divisions, conflicts, and pain can be utilized by God to further his redemptive purposes. Robert Tannehill puts it well: “the disciples must endure division and conflict. But God can use even division, conflict, and rejection for a saving purpose. This is something that the disciples must learn.”[14]

The pursuit of true and lasting peace will bring conflict, but even the conflict cannot hinder the final establishment of true and lasting peace. For this reason, we faithfully seek peace in spite of the conflict it brings because we know that, in the end, peace will reign upon the earth!

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© Richard J. Vincent, 2006