Luke 12:49 Meaning and Explanation
“I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus declares that He came to cast fire on the earth, and that He longs for it to be kindled already.
What Does Luke 12:49 Mean?
The teaching turns suddenly personal and intense. I am come to send fire on the earth — fire, in the prophets, that refines as well as judges, the flame that separates dross from silver (Mal 3:2-3). Then a cry from within His mission: what will I, if it be already kindled — a longing for the work to be underway.
Jesus is no detached teacher of timeless maxims; He is a man under commission, aching toward its climax. His coming sets the earth alight: hearts kindled, evils exposed, nothing left neutral. The verse lets us overhear the urgency of the Savior, and it forbids us to treat His mission as a mild improvement to the world rather than the blaze it is.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 12:49
What does Luke 12:49 mean?
Jesus declares that He came to cast fire on the earth, and that He longs for it to be kindled already.