Elijah is one of the most memorable figures in Judaism. To this day, when a Jewish family sits for their Passover meal they set an extra place “for Elijah.” It is no surprise that the followers of Jesus were curious about Elijah … and only a little surprising that Jesus names John the Baptist as the long expected return of the prophet. John and Elijah shared a passion for justice that threatened with fire all those forces opposed to God. Jesus too talked about fire. “I have come to cast fire upon the earth” (Luke 12:49). But his was not the fire of destruction. Jesus’ was the fire of love, a burning with ardent devotion which would transform a world of death into a kingdom of joy.
