Many people are puzzled by these words. Yet their meaning is quite clear if we grasp the true nature of Jesus’ mission as Messiah. Jesus’ call to be one with the kingdom of God demands an all-or-nothing response, so it cannot fail to bring about dissension and division. Jesus is not happy about this —you can detect a deep sigh in his voice — but he foresees it as a necessary part of the struggle for perfection.

V 49 alludes to the fire imagery of Pentecost (see Acts 2:3-4). The "baptism" of v 50 reflects Mk 10:38-39. Both fire and water, powerful in their life-giving as well as their destroying capabilities, symbolize purification and passage from one state to another.

The dissension caused by his message was foretold in the prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:34-35) and may be compared to a sword cut (see Mt 10:34-36). Further references to God’s word as a cutting edge are in Heb 4:12; Eph 6:17; Rev 1:16 and 19:15. The divisions within a household may shed some light on the interpretation of the harsh words in Lk 14:26 (see also Mt 10:37 where both sayings are placed together).

Poor Jeremiah! He was called to proclaim God’s word to a people unwilling to hear it, and who were headed toward destruction in their obstinacy. He didn’t want the job (read chapter 1). The Lord imposed on him a celibate and detached life-style as a sign of his displeasure with the conduct of the royal house of Judah (see chapter 16). Jeremiah was sad and often discouraged because of the message he conveyed and his lack of success (see 20:7-18), yet he was consistently faithful. Although seeing destruction and exile as unavoidable, his message is never hopeless, and often filled with great promise (especially chapter 31).

This reading concerns an attempt to murder him, perpetrated by influential citizens of Jerusalem (the "princes") shortly before the invasion of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (Chaldeans). The king, Zedekiah, was favorably impressed by Jeremiah and his message, but was weak in the face of opposition from these wealthy and comfortable people of power who saw Jeremiah’s warnings as a threat to their own position of and power. The warning in 38:2-3 is what infuriated them. Read the whole story, chapters 37-38. At the beginning of chapter 39, the Babylonians invade, destroy Jerusalem, and lead all but the very poor into captivity.

The enmity between the king and the leaders provoked by Jeremiah’s preaching pre-echoes the division that Jesus spoke about in the gospel.

This psalm is a cry of faith and confidence in the midst of affliction. Response: "Lord, come to my aid."

Christians have the example of Christ and their ancestors in faith to follow. This book — like most of the Christian Scriptures — was addressed to a church feeling the threat of persecution for its faith and way of life. The motive of encouragement is very strong: "Keep up the struggle as Jesus did."

1. How would you encourage and console someone who is facing family divisions because of Christian faith or practices?

2. What would Jeremiah be like today?