Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Luke: Chapter 12]
equal to \hoti\. How I wish that it were already kindled.
\An•phth•\ is first aorist passive of \anapt•\, to set fire to,
to kindle, to make blaze. Probably Luke means the conflagration
to come by his death on the Cross for he changes the figure and
refers to that more plainly.
12:50 {I have a baptism} (\baptisma de ech•\). Once again Jesus
will call his baptism the baptism of blood and will challenge
James and John to it (Mr 10:32f.; Mt 20:22f.). So here. "Having
used the metaphor of fire, Christ now uses the metaphor of water.
The one sets forth the result of his coming as it affects the
world, the other as it affects himself. The world is lit up with
flames and Christ is bathed in blood" (Plummer). {And how I am
straitened} (\kai p•s sunechomai\). See this same vivid verb
\sunechomai\ in Lu 8:37; Ac 18:5; Php 1:23 where Paul uses it
of his desire for death just as Jesus does here. The urge of the
Cross is upon Jesus at the moment of these words. We catch a
glimpse of the tremendous passion in his soul that drove him on.
{Till it be accomplished} (\he•s hotou telesth•i\). First aorist
passive subjunctive of \tele•\ with \he•s hotou\ (until which
time), the common construction for the future with this
conjunction.
12:51 {But rather division} (\all' • diamerismon\). Peace at any
price is not the purpose of Christ. It is a pity for family jars
to come, but loyalty to Christ counts more than all else. These
ringing words (Lu 12:51-53) occur in Mt 10:34-36 in the
address to the Twelve for the Galilean tour. See discussion of
details there. These family feuds are inevitable where only part
cleave to Christ. In Matthew we have \kata\ with the genitive
whereas in Luke it is \epi\ with the dative (and accusative
once).
12:54 {To the multitudes also} (\kai tois ochlois\). After the
strong and stirring words just before with flash and force Jesus
turns finally in this series of discourses to the multitudes
again as in verse 15. There are similar sayings to these verses
54-59 in Mt 16:1f; 5:25f. There is a good deal of difference
in phraseology whether that is due to difference of source or
different use of the same source (Q or Logia) we do not know. Not
all the old MSS. give Mt 16:2,3. In Matthew the Pharisees and
Sadducees were asking for a sign from heaven as they often did.
These signs of the weather, "a shower" (\ombros\, Lu 12:54) due
to clouds in the west, "a hot wave" (\kaus•n\, verse 55) due to a
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