Not Peace, but Division

^49 (A)“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!

The Great Day of the Lord

4 ^[a] “For behold, ^(A)the day is coming, ^(B)burning like an oven, when ^(C)all the arrogant and ^(D)all evildoers ^(E)will be stubble. The day that is coming ^(F)shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

¹⁰ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^(A)Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

^11 (B)“I baptize you with water ^(C)for repentance, but ^(D)he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you ^(E)with the Holy Spirit and ^(F)fire. ¹² His ^(G)winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and ^(H)gather his wheat into the barn, ^(I)but the chaff he will burn with ^(J)unquenchable fire.”

^51 (A)Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? ^(B)No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.

² But ^(A)who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For ^(B)he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. ³ He will sit ^(C)as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring ^(D)offerings in righteousness to the Lord.^[a]

³⁰ “And I will show ^(A)wonders in the heavens and ^(B)on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. ^31 (C)The sun shall be turned to darkness, ^(D)and the moon to blood, ^(E)before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

^17 (A)The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. ¹⁸ The reason why the crowd went to meet him ^(B)was that they heard he had done this sign. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, ^(C)“You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, ^(D)the world has gone after him.”

⁴ We must ^(A)work the works of him who sent me ^(B)while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.