Like 12:49

Luke 12:49 says, I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?  Matthew Henry says this is understood by some to be the persecution the followers of Christ by the carnal Jews, which Jesus did not commission, but that He allowed to continue.  We may go through the fire of persecution, but it is not because God causes it.  Verse fifty adds, But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!  Jesus said He had a baptism to be baptized with, His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, and He could not accomplish His mission until this happened.  We must also die to self and suffer the persecution of the world when necessary if we are to accomplish our purpose as Christians.  Verse forty-one continues, Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:  Jesus said He did not come to bring peace to the world, but division between His followers and the rest of the world.  Though we should be at peace with God as followers of Christ, we will never really be at peace with the world.  Verse fifty-two states, For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.  Jesus said that households would be divided because of those within either believing in Him or not, so we shouldn't be surprised when this happens.   Verse fifty-three adds, The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.  This is simply an expansion on how families will be divided because of Jesus.  Though we want all our family to be saved, it often does not happen, but that doesn't mean that we give up on praying for them.  Verse fifty-four says, And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.  Jesus then began to teach once again using everyday terms or knowledge.  When people saw a cloud in the west, they knew rain was coming.  They could read the signs, and they and we should be able to read the signs that God is at work in the world.  Verse fifty-five adds, And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.  Again, the heat following a south wind was just an ability to understand the signs of nature.  Verse fifty-six declares, Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?  Jesus called them hypocrites, because they could read the signs of nature, but not the signs that the Messiah, Jesus Himself, had come to them.  We don't have a weatherman to show us that Jesus Christ is the Savior and that He will return, but we can only come to that knowledge by faith.  Verse fifty-seven continues, Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?  Jesus asked those around Him, who were supposed to be God's people, why they couldn't judge what is right.  We need to pray that God does not ask us as followers of Christ today the same question.  Verse fifty-eight says, When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.  Jesus then warned against going to the magistrate for deliverance if the person himself was guilty of some offense.  We are all guilty of sin and we cannot be set free from the penalty by God's law. Verse fifty-nine adds, I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.  Just as those who were put in prison because of a debt would not be set free until it was all paid, we can never be set free from the penalty of sin by our own ability.  We will be forever imprisoned by it if we do not accept salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.