[Jesus speaking]
I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Daniel‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬, ‭7‬, ‭12‬, ‭16‬-‭18‬
“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
“But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.””

Have you ever been called to do something both very difficult and very unpopular?

One day, in high school football practice, when I felt like my football coach was very verbally abusive to some freshmen, and demoralizing them in front of the whole team, I told him to stop. I stood up to him. He said I would not play in the upcoming football game. And I was a two-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines.

This was very hard for me, because football was my big pursuit and I was hoping to get a scholarship in college. But I knew it was right to stand up for them. It turned out they ended up letting me play ball after all.

For Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three Jewish leaders who led alongside Daniel, the stakes were much higher. They had to stand up to a king who already said they would meet a torturous doom if they did not bow down and worship the statue he made. I am always singularly impressed with the boldness of these men, every time I read this passage. They told the king that their God had the power to rescue them, but even if he did not, they would never bow down.

Jesus, in this passage in Luke, references a similar trial. He first said he came to bring fire. This fire was the truth about God and it scorched those who were in power and did not follow God, like the Pharisees and teachers of the law. He also mentioned he is restrained until his baptism. And what could this be other than his crucifixion? So we find that Jesus will bring the fire of truth and will sacrifice at the ultimate cost for us. But once he is crucified, he will then again be unconstrained by his human body, and his self-imposed power limitations. When he rose again HE ROSE VICTORIOUS AND FREE! Free to love and advocate for and come to the aid of his followers!

And then he predicts what happened to him and what happened to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego … will also happen to his true followers in the future: they will be separated from their loved ones. Divisions will occur. This could be a reference to the end of days — Jesus’ second coming, when he will judge the living and the dead (those who followed him and those who did not). It could also be a reference to the persecution and turmoil that the truth of God’s Word brings with it, in a fallen world full of lies and deceit.

Jesus modeled the life of a servant of God perfectly for us. He brought the “truth fire”, he paid dearly for it — with his own life, and then he was released from his human body to reign victorious in heaven!

Lord, you are such a great Savior and Brother and Friend! How can I ever say thanks enough for all of the amazing things you have done for me? I would go hoarse and my throat would be dry before I even uttered a small percentage of them! Give me a boldness to preach your truth and a courage to stand for you and your ways of grace and love and justice! Lead on, Lord Jesus, I’ll follow you all my days, step by step …!