The Fire is Kindled

This morning I continued reading from Luke.  I was stopped by the following verse - Luke 12:49 NIV: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!"

The following verses are important as they continue His thought around this first statement.  Here they are for reference - Luke 12:50-53 NIV:

[50] "But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! [51] Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. [52] From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, 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 daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Going back to verse 49, this is such an interesting verse, one where Jesus is pointing to the time after His death and resurrection.  In the next verse He speaks of having to undergo a baptism, and that this fire comes after the baptism.  The baptism He speaks is definitely His agony and death.  So what is this fire?

I think it is one of two things, or both.  He is speaking either of the Holy Spirit or of the church.  There is no doubt that when the Holy Spirit fell on Pentecost that He fell as tongues of fire.   However, the language Jesus uses in the following verses indicate He was speaking about people being divided and struggling.  The Holy Spirit, while all powerful,  brings peace, joy and unity (Romans 14:17, Eph 4:3).   There are those who argue about the role of the Holy Spirit, those that don't trust the Holy Spirit, those that fear association with people who move in the power that comes from the Holy Spirit, but that all came later. I really don't think He was speaking of the Holy Spirit here..

So, the alternative is that the fire Jesus speaks of is the Church.  That would not be the way I would describe the church of America today.  In many ways the church's fire has been reduced to barely above the level of the pilot light.  Jesus says He came to bring this fire to earth, and He wishes it were kindled.  The Greek here is the word Thelo whose Definition is: 1) to will, have in mind, intend; 2) to be resolved or determined, to purpose; 3) to desire, to wish; 4) to love; 5) to like to do a thing, be fond of doing; 6) to take delight in, have pleasure.
So, it is clear that Jesus is looking forward to this fire being kindled.  He takes great delight in this thought. If you look closely at the following verses, He does not take delight in the division that will come, but only in the fire.  The division He speaks of will occur and was seen in the early church, as it came under persecution.  Thus it is my belief that He speaks of the church as a fire!

It takes a bit of an adjustment of my thinking about the church to think of it as a fire.  As I said earlier, it seems that much of our fire has been reduced presently, but that was not always the case.  There were great fires of revival that spread across this land, where people were set on fire for the Lord.  It is my prayer that once again the church might be this very fire, this raging inferno of passion for Him.  The church is Jesus' delight, let us delight in Him and shine forth His light to all the world.  The fire has been kindled, it is time for it to burn once again!

Amen!