Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on, in one house five 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 her mother-in-law.”
Reflect
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says that he has come to bring fire on the earth. In our day, when
forest fires and home fires cause so much destruction, that image can sound strange to our
ears. But there is a long tradition in the Bible of God appearing as fire. When Abraham made
his covenant with the Lord, the Lord appeared as a flaming torch to ratify the pact. As the
Israelites traveled from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, God accompanied them at
night as pillar of fire. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit descends on the gathered
disciples as tongues of fire.
What can this image teach us about the nature of God? Fire purifies, as it can sterilize equipment
and wounds. Fire protects, keeping predators away. Fire provides warmth and nutrition, heating
our homes and allowing us to cook. Fire provides light in the darkness. So too does God offer us
healing, protection, comfort, sustenance, and enlightenment.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023