In Luke 12, 49-53, The Lord tells of his own passionate longing for the Redemption he will win for us, and foretells the suffering which will afflict his Church because of her loyalty to him. He uses the image of the family in order to describe the intensity of the division belief in him will produce. The following is taken from St. Bede's commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke:
" 'The father against his son, and the son against his father.' This 'father' is the devil. He did not create the 'son', but we are his 'sons' when we imitate him: 'You are the sons of your father the devil' (John 8, 44). But after we have heard the voice of admonishment: 'Forget your people and your father's house' (Psalm 44, 11), that 'fire' came -- that is, spiritual grace separated us from each other -- and showed us another Father, to whom we say: 'Our Father, who are in heaven' (Matthew 6, 9).
" 'Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother.' The 'mother' is the Synagogue, and her 'daughter' is the early Church, which endured the persecution of the Synagogue because of her faith, and which fought against the Synagogue by the truth of faith.
" 'Mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.' The 'mother-in-law' is the Synagogue, and the 'daughter-in-law' is the Church of the Gentiles, for Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church, is the Son of the Synagogue. As the Apostle says: 'Whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ, according to the flesh' (Romans 9, 5). The 'mother-in-law' -- that is, the mother of the Bridegroom -- is divided against her 'daughter-in-law' and her own 'daughter' (as we have just said), for the Synagogue does not cease to persecute believers, whether of the circumcision or of the uncircumcision [cf. Ephesians 2, 11]. The 'daughter-in-law' and the 'mother-in-law' are divided because the Church of the Gentiles does not wish to accept physical circumcision, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles."
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