The words of Jesus in the Gospel for this Sunday are a bit unsettling if taken at face value. To hear him say that he wishes the world were on fire and that he has come to establish division rather than peace is not only unconscionable to Christians, but also downright contrary. Additionally, in the written translation of this Gospel, the admonishments of Jesus are punctuated with exclamation points. That too gives us an uneasy feeling. What if Jesus is not the warm and fuzzy Son of God, we thought he was?
The Scriptures give us two views of Jesus. One is that he speaks in parables that are timeless and open-ended allowing us to draw the conclusion. The other is that he minces no words. We see this latter view in today’s Gospel. To set the world on fire is not so much a destructive phrase as it is one that looks to renew. “Send down the fire of your Spirit.” Jesus does indeed wish that the world was on fire. On fire with his love, on fire for his love, on fire for the mission to love the One who is love. Oh, how he wishes our hearts were burning.
Jesus knew that he must be baptized in a fire in order to bring about the Father’s plan. He must undergo such a change in human concepts that only then could salvation be one. To be baptized means to die to one’s former self and rise anew. Jesus did that. He endured a baptism that few of us have every been called to endure. However, baptism for us is also a metanoia. Baptism causes us to set aside our former ways and be renewed—set on fire—for the love of Christ! Our baptism does not end with the dousing of water. The font of new life does not quench the fire that is the Spirit of God. Instead, our baptism ignites us, sustains us, and urges us to grow and be formed for the missionary work of Christ. This is not without heartache. While fervent in faith, we have encountered those who reject the faith in Christ. The world is divided. It has been and I suspect will be for a long time. Jesus knew that. Yet he still accepted his mission. It’s our turn to accept our mission, “Go, set the world on fire!”
