“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.”
(verses 49-52)
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These verses strike a different note than we usually expect from Jesus. Fire. Distress. Division. The opposite of peace.
Indeed, peace is clearly not the promised commodity here – rather turmoil and relational disruption. What’s going on?
It’s all stirred up within the vortex of Jesus’ own mission. All of it is focused in the cross – the “baptism” Jesus will undergo. Because of the cross, he himself will be the first to experience turbulence. But subsequently, so will his followers.
The “fire” Jesus will bring upon the earth is both for judgement and for purification. Fire burns up what is combustible and refines what is not. The cross is where it happens – that’s where Jesus himself bears the judgement of sin, the place that sin is subjected to fire. Because of it, those who believe will experience fire’s purifying effect – sin is forgiven, judgement is averted, and a cleansed life is bestowed through Christ’s sacrifice.
But the cross, of course, spelt distress and suffering for Jesus. He himself would endure the judgement of sin. He would bear our wounds and infirmities. He would take our place. He experienced the fire. Therefore, as he looks ahead to the cross (his “baptism”) he says, “how distressed I am until it is completed!” That word, “distressed,” can also be translated as “constrained” (in the sense that he feels “compelled” to complete his mission) – either way, “distress” is clearly a component. In another place, anticipating the cross, Jesus acknowledges the angst, but also the determination: “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:27-28).
He endured that “distress” and “trouble” of the cross for our sakes. But it was also “distress” and “trouble” that took him there in the first place. “He came to his own, but his own did not receive him” – in fact, they turned against him. With deep hostility, the religious elite conspired to arrest him, convict him, and execute him. That’s “distress,” “trouble,” “division,” and “fire” writ large.
No wonder, then, if we experience some of the same when we take up our cross to follow. There is division and hostility. Our culture so often opposes kingdom values (think of integrity, generosity, compassion for strangers, sexual ethics). As we embrace Jesus’ perspective there is tension. The priority of following him often puts us on a different path than friends, co-workers, boss, family. Conflict easily results. We might find ourselves accused as “too traditional.” We might be called “too radical.” We might find relationships strained.
He’s told us in advance. Don’t be surprised.
But there’s more. This isn’t the whole story. Jesus continues to be the Prince of Peace, even as we experience turmoil. “Peace I leave with you,” he says, “my peace I give to you … (not) as the world gives” (John 14:27).
And he calls us to be his ambassadors, entrusted with the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) – bringing peace with God.
So, amid turmoil and division there is hope. All in Jesus.
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Dear Lord, thank you that you bore the fire of the cross for me – that I might be set free, purified, forgiven, cleansed. Strengthen me now as I take up my cross to follow – help me to live with courage and grace in the midst of potential division and turmoil. And be my peace. For your name’s sake. Amen.
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Reflect:
Are you currently experiencing the reality of tension because of Jesus? What can you do to continue living out his grace, even in the midst of turmoil?
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Photo by Alicia Quan on Unsplash
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