Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 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, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Gospel Trivia:
Biblically, "fire" is symbolic of divine punishment; but in this case, "fire" connotes the fire of the Holy Spirit, and of purification and renewal.
The family connotes unity, and its division suggests the end times.
Jesus tells his disciples that his gospel message of love and forgiveness will not always be received peacefully, but with much controversy. (Indeed, his radical message led to his crucifixion.) Its radicalness may lead to a division, but the fire of the Holy Spirit will renew our hearts, such that God's will prevails at the end.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), p. 357-358.
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