Total fire ban?

Scripture

Luke 12:49 “I’ve come to start a fire on this earth… I’ve come to change everything, turn everything rightside up” (The Message)

 

Observation

In His challenge to the disciples Jesus calls for honest, transparent and genuine commitment to His cause. No hypocrisy, no laziness, in fact he is starting a fire that will cause strife. The kind of strife that will unsettle and disturb, causing every person to investigate and decide on their own plan of action. Jesus is intentionally lighting social, spiritual and relational fires in order to grab the attention of every person and force them to decide on whom they should follow – self or Him.

 

Application

When I see a fire I want to put it out. This is true of a physical fire as well as emotional, relational and spiritual fires. But Jesus is actually engaged in lighting these fires! I am acting like a fire fighter and he is the pyromaniac! He obviously saw fire as a useful tool to produce a quality choice as fire brings confrontation, energy, disruption to the normal course of events as well as burning up the dead bracken that has cluttered and littered the scene. It was said to me recently that there is great difference between a peace maker and a peace keeper. The peace maker will do everything to expose and deal with the issues that are causing the peace to be broken – whereas the peace keeper will find whatever diplomatic solution or smoothing words that will ease the tension and call a truce but not actually deal with the issue causing the brokenness. Jesus is a pyromaniac for this reason – there is no use putting sin in the bottom drawer and pretending it’s not there because at any time it can be brought out again and it reeks a new era of destruction. Jesus causes the issue to be exposed, burnt, dealt with.

 

Prayer

Lord I’m sorry for often not seeing your purpose in the fire. I’m often declaring total fire bans in seasons that you are actively setting fires in the bracken of sinfulness. I’ve too often acted like a well intentioned fire fighter and fought the flames rather than the cause of the inferno.

 

Jim Jung