Tag: blessings

Jesus says things that can sound rather harsh. He said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” and “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” This teaching from Our Lord can be difficult for us who see Jesus as the Prince of Peace. It is easy to see why His words can be very confusing because we usually think of Jesus as bringing peace and love, right?

To understand what Our Lord is teaching us, it is important to know what He means by using words like “fire” and “division.” When Jesus talks about “fire,” He’s not necessarily talking about a destructive fire that burns things down. Instead, Our Lord is talking about the fire of God’s love and truth. The Lord’s fire, like we see above His Most Sacred and Passionate Heart, burns brightly to change hearts and the world for the better. God’s fire can purify motives and helps us to see what is truly important and to live according to His ways. The fire of God’s love purifies like gold in the fire which burns away what is not of God…the lies, the ugliness, the sins.