On Divisions Among People.

(Luke 12:49-53).

“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled” — the Holy Fathers understand the word “fire” to mean spiritual zealousness, which the Lord came to implant in human hearts, and which will inevitably spawn division and hostility among people, because some will accept Christ’s teachings with all their hearts, while others will oppose it. Because this flame of zealousness had to inflame with especial potency only after Christ’s cruciferous sufferings, His Resurrection, Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, the Lord expresses His desire to be speedily “baptized” with that baptism that He “had to be baptized with,” i.e. undergo His anticipated sufferings for humanity’s salvation sooner, which will result in this zealousness being inflamed. As a result of Christ’s redeeming works among the people, it will be no longer that evil world, which united people on culpable grounds and distanced them from God, but a saving division will arrive: the followers of Christ’s teachings are separated from His enemies. The hostility, arising on these grounds, even among close relatives, can be seen especially during the heathens’ persecution of Christians. However, it is unavoidable as evil hates goodness and will always strive to destroy it.