1. Fire on the earth (49-53)

Jesus' life, death and resurrection lit a fire on the earth. What does this mean? From the moment of his baptism by John, Jesus' direction was set toward the cross, his baptism of death. By his death on the cross and his resurrection, he solved our sin problem. When we repent and believe the gospel, we are forgiven. We have peace with God and peace in our own hearts. But we are often thrown into conflict with the world, for we cannot compromise with worldly values and goals, nor can we compromise with those who try to make us follow the world.

2. Judge for yourselves what is right (54-59)

We know that a cloudy sky brings rain and that God hates sin. We also know that sinful desire gives birth to sinful acts and that the consequences of sin is death. We can't afford to be double-minded hypocrites who try to stand in the middle, for there is no middle ground.

Application: Lord, help me to stand clearly on your side, especially with those I love.
One Word: Not peace but division