李约翰神父应邀来全国修院讲授保禄灵修课程。课程结束前夕，在弥撒中李约翰神父做了这样的分享，全文如下：

恭读圣路加福音　12:49-53

那时候，耶稣对门徒说：“我来是为把火投在地上，我是多么切望愿它已经燃烧起来！我有一种应 受的洗礼，我是如何焦急，直到它得以完成！你们以为我来是给地上送和平吗？不，我告诉你们：而是来送分裂。因为从今以后，一家五口的，将要分裂：三个反对 两个，两个反对三个。他们将要分裂：父亲反对儿子，儿子反对父亲；母亲反对女儿，女儿反对母亲；婆母反对儿媳，儿媳反对婆母。”

Luke 12,49-53  路12：49-53
          耶稣来投给地上的火是什么（49节）？耶稣必须要受的洗是什么（50）？为什他说，他来不是为送和平而是分裂？在洪水之后有彩虹出现。那是和平的象征。“凡有血肉的，以后再不受洪水湮灭，再没有洪水来毁灭大地”（创9：11）。由于这个许诺，以色列人相信，天主将来不会用水，而是用火净化世界。“因为上主要用火审判大地”（依66：16）。洗者若翰用威胁性的言辞宣布默西亚的来临：“他要以圣神和火洗你们。。。至于糠秕却要用 不灭的火焚烧”（玛3：11-12）。耶稣以及所有的新约作者也都谈到火。

        上主的火不是为了消灭或折磨那些犯错的人。 它是他用来消灭邪恶从罪恶中净化我们的工具。把惩罚性的火留给那些原教旨主义者和狂热的传道者吧。先知们所宣讲，被基督所点燃的火是用来拯救，净化，和治愈的。那是他的圣言之火，是他救赎的信息，是他遍布普世的有益的和使人更新的圣神的火焰。第49节—我来是把火投在地上...是他热切希望看到邪恶在世界上被摧毁的一种表达。第二个图像是之洗礼。 它是与火有关系的。 耶稣声明他要传播这种火，他就必须首先接受洗礼。 受洗意思是淹入/浸入水中...耶稣是指他自己的浸入的死亡之水（谷10:38-39）。这水是他的仇人为了熄灭他的圣言之火，他的爱，和他的圣神而准备的。然而，这却制造了一个相反的结果：他赋予这火一个不可阻止的力量。从复活节的水走出来的是一个崭新的世界。

        你认为我来是给地上送和平么？不...我告诉你们...而是来送分裂。 一个令人吃惊和令人不安的语句。

       确实，先知们许诺了默西亚时的和平，但是，他们也宣布了冲突和分裂。 当耶稣说不同世代人和生活在同一屋檐下的人之间的误解时...他实际是在引用米该亚（6：7），说新世界的产生不是来自和平的形式，而是会有痛苦的分离，撕裂。

       耶稣的信息是火—那些有财务要保护，有宫殿要守卫的人不喜欢这火去蔓延。 福音是一个燃烧的火炬希望把不正义的建筑/结构，不人道的状况，歧视，对金钱的贪婪，对权力的疯狂化为灰烬。那些对这火感到威胁的人不会保持被动。他会用一切手段来反对它。他猛烈地回击因为他想保持这个罪恶的世界。就是在这一点上，误解，分裂，矛盾，迫害和暴力等爆发出来了。我们必须从天主的圣言，从真的事 开始寻找共融。基于谎言和不公正的和平不可能会受欢迎。那是一种必要，在某些时候，怀着极大的爱，在不冒犯人的情况下，激起健康的分裂。我们一定不能因为忠诚，因纠纷就让仇恨，暴力，攻击性的言辞和傲慢把福音的新建议遮掩。它们与基督徒的选择是不相容的。这火赋予人存在的意义，为此我能给我们和其他人的生命带来火和热情。

Luke 12,49-53  路12：49-53

What is that fire Jesus came to bring to earth (v. 49)?  What is that baptism he must receive (v. 50)? Why did he say that he has not come to bring peace but división?
At the end of the flood the rainbow appeared. It is a symbol of peace. “Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of the flood. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen 9: 11). From this promise, the Israelites were convinced that God will purify the world of iniquity, not with wáter but with fire. “For by fire he will bring justice on the earth” (Is 66:16). The Baptist announced the coming of the Messiah with threatening words: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. The chaff he will burn in everlasting fire” (Mt 3: 11-12). Jesus and all the authors of the N.T. will also speak of fire.

The fire of God is not to annihilate or torture those who committed errors. It is the instrument with which he wants to destroy evil and to purify us from sin. Leave the punishing fire to the fundamentalists and fanatic preachers. The fire announced by the prophets and lit by Christ saves, purifies and heals. It is the fire of his Word, it is his message of salvation, it is his Spirit spread throughout the world with a beneficial and renewing flames.
v. 49 – I have come to bring fire upon the earth….It is the expression of his ardent desire to see the destruction of evil in the world.

The second image is that of baptism. It is connected with fire. Jesus affirms that to spread this fire, he must first be baptized. Baptized means to be submerged/plunged …and Jesus refers to his immersion in the waters of death (Mk 10: 38-39). This wáter was prepared by his enemies with the purpose of putting off forever the fire of his Word, of his love, of his Spirit. Instead it created an opposite result: he communicates  to this fire an unstoppable forcé. Coming out of this wáter on Easter, a new world is started.

If this is the destiny of the Master, what will be that of the disciples, carriers of his fire? Will they also provoke dissensions, divisions, hostility? Will that also include the division within their families (vv.51-53)
Do you think I come to bring peace on earth? No...I tell you…I bring división. A very surprising and disturbing sentence.
It is true that the prophets promised peace for the Messianic times but they also announced conflicts and separations. When Jesus speaks of misundertandings among generations and among those who live in the same house…he is actually quoting Micha (7, 6) who said that the brith of a new world will not come in a peaceful way but there will be painful divisions, lacerations.

The message of Jesus is a fire – who has good to protect, palaces to guard do not like this fire to spread. The Gospel is a flaming torch wanting the reduce to ashes the unjust structures, the inhuman situations, discriminations, the greed for money, and the frenzy for power. Who feels threatened by this fire does not remain passive. He opposes it with every means. He reacts violently because he wants to perpetuate the world of sin. It is at this point that misunderstandings, divisions, conflicts, persecutions and violence erupt.

We must search for communion starting from the Word of God, starting from what is true. Peace based on lies and injustice, cannot be favored. It is a must, at times, to provoke healthy divisions with much love and without offending anybody.

We must not take hatred,violence, offensive words and arrogance for loyalty, for dissensions that hide the new proposals of the góspel. They are incompatible with the Christian choice. This fire brings meaning to human existence and for that we can bring fire and passion to our life and that of others.