He turned and rebuked them

30 SEPTEMBER (Lk 9,51-56)

In the Old Testament the Lord often used fire to educate his people. The fire was considered a real sword in God’s hands. It was an infallible sword. It came, struck and decimated. However, it was often a sword of cruelty in the hands men, who used it to destroy entire cities.

Now the people complained in the hearing of the Lord; and when he heard it his wrath flared up so that the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp. But when the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died out. Hence that place was called Taberah, because there the fire of the Lord burned among them (Num 11,1-3).

Moses said, “This is how you shall know that it was the Lord who sent me to do all I have done, and that it was not I who planned it: if these men die an ordinary death, merely suffering the fate common to all mankind, then it was not the Lord  who sent me. But if the Lord  does something entirely new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them alive down into the nether world, with all belonging to them, then you will know that these men have defied the Lord .” No sooner had he finished saying all this than the ground beneath them split open, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their families (and all of Korah’s men) and all their possessions. They went down alive to the nether world with all belonging to them; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the community. But all the Israelites near them fled at their shrieks, saying, “The earth might swallow us too!” So they withdrew from the space around the Dwelling (of Korah, Dathan and Abiram). And fire from the Lord  came forth which consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense (Num 16,28-35).  

Elijah also uses the fire to protect himself from the king that was looking for him because he wanted his death. Twice he makes fire come down from heaven. So he attests to his truth of prophet of the living God. The Lord hears his voice and frees and saves him.

The messengers then returned to Ahaziah, who asked them. “Why have you returned?” “A man came up to us,” they answered, “who said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him: The Lord says, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? For this you shall not leave the bed upon which you lie; instead, you shall die.'” The king asked them, “What was the man like who came up to you and said these things to you?” “Wearing a hairy garment,” they replied, “with a leather girdle about his loins.” “It is Elijah the Tishbite!” he exclaimed. Then the king sent a captain with his company of fifty men after Elijah. The prophet was seated on a hilltop when he found him. “Man of God,” he ordered, “the king commands you to come down.” “If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered the captain, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. Ahaziah sent another captain with his company of fifty men after Elijah. “Man of God,” he called out to Elijah, “the king commands you to come down immediately.” “If I am a man of God,” Elijah answered him, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And divine fire came down from heaven, consuming him and his fifty men. Again, for the third time, Ahaziah sent a captain with his company of fifty men. When the third captain arrived, he fell to his knees before Elijah, pleading with him. “Man of God,” he implored him, “let my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants, count for something in your sight! Already fire has come down from heaven, consuming two captains with their companies of fifty men. But now, let my life mean something to you!” (2Kings 1,5-14).

The disciples are still steeped in the Old Testament mentality. They too wished they could solve the problems with the fire that comes down and destroys. But Jesus did not come to make this destructive fire descend from Heaven. He came for another Fire; to make descend the Fire which is the Holy Spirit to the Earth. It is the Fire of God that destroys the old man and the new man comes back to life. It is the fire of Pentecost.

When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angel, Saints give us this Divine Fire.