FIRE ON EARTH

 A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke (Lk 12,49-53).

Jesus said to his disciples: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52 From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 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.” The Word of the Lord.

 Today’s Gospel selection reminded me of a short dialogue I had with a very young girl many years ago. She asked me: “Is it true that God sends fire on the earth?” “Why do you ask me?”, I answered. “Because mother told me that God will send fire to burn me if I don’t obey my parents”. That was the way we were frightened into obeying, not out of love or truth, but out of fear of severe punishment. This is not God’s way of doing things! When Jesus and his group were refused hospitality by the Samaritans, James and John told Jesus: “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” (Lk 9, 54). Jesus rebuked them and they continued on their journey to Jerusalem.

With this in mind, I answered the young girl: “Yes, God sends fire on earth”. “But why, father?” she asked me with fear in her eyes. Smiling I told her: “Yes, God sends fire on earth, for us to get warm during cold winter days, for us to have light during dark nights, and for us to cook our meals, among other things.” “Oh, Father, that’s OK”, she told me with a nice bright smile on her face.

Today Jesus tells us: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” What kind of fire did Jesus bring to the earth? Surely, not a fire that destroys. He is not eager to destroy things and punish people. He tells us about this in the parable of the weeds among the wheat (Mt 13, 24-30). When the servants told their master that they could uproot the weeds, he disagreed and told them: Let both of them grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the reapers, ‘Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn’”. Judgment will come in its time!

Which fire did Jesus bring on earth? When the risen lord walked with two of his disciples on their way to Emmaus they did not recognize him, but they invited him to stay with them. When Jesus broke bread with them, they recognized him. “They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’” (Lk 24, 32). This is the fire that Jesus wished already kindled, a fire that is love preached and lived as good news. For God is love! (1 Jn  4, 16).

Is it already kindled in us? We are tempted to judge others, and also our times, and we are easily pessimistic. Jesus himself once asked: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18, 8). I dare not answer. However the resurrected Jesus said: “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me” (Rev 3, 20). So an answer to Christ’s question could be: “It depends on me! It depends on you! It depends on each one of us!”. If we hear his voice and we open our hearts to him then we will have heaven in our heart, for where God is, there is paradise.

Today Jesus asks us: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?”. We will not be mistaken if we answer: “Yes he came to establish peace on earth”. The message the shepherds received on Christmas night was: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!” Isaiah prophesied: “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Is 9, 6).

However Jesus tells us: “No, I tell you, but rather division”. Does Jesus encourage division among men? No, of course not! But he knows us humans. He knows that we can easily change heart. One day we sing: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”, and the next day we can shout: “Crucify him!”. Not only bad people do this. Remember Peter who on a Thursday afternoon said: “I am ready to die for you” (Jesus), and later three times he said: “I do not know him!”. Peter was a good man.

 Jesus speaks about divisions in a household of five. If somebody knocks at our door, some of those inside would say “Open the door!”, others would say “No, don’t open it!”. Another would say “If it is Mr So and So, tell him that I am not here!”. Divisions need not be permanent, or between different people. Frequently divisions are inside ourselves. Peter said he was ready to die for Jesus, and he was sincere for he loved him. But, sitting among people who kindled a fire in the courtyard of the high priest’s house, Peter was afraid and he denied ever knowing Jesus. When he became aware that he had betrayed his friend, Peter “went out and wept bitterly” (Lk 22, 62). Knowing of Peter’s genuine love for him, the resurrected Jesus gave him the opportunity to declare his love, and he confirmed Peter’s mission to tend and feed Christ’s sheep. This is God’s way of doing things!

We make mistakes. We are sinners, yes. But God loved us first, and he always offers us forgiveness. If we accept it, we are friends again. We are free to choose on whose side we want to be.