a thread opens
I have come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it is already kindled?
The Vigil
Today’s scroll, one verse at a time — each linked to the last by the cross-references rather than by any model of you. The same vigil for everyone, and a different one tomorrow.
And as he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
from Luke 12:49
Then they said, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
from Luke 11:53
My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
from Jeremiah 18:18
There is that speaks like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
from Psalms 57:4
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is the testimony, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
from Acts 20:21
And he that saw it bore record, and his record is true: and he knows that he says true, that you might believe.
from I John 5:11
And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
from John 19:35
This Jesus has God raised up, of which we all are witnesses.
from Acts 10:39
But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the farthest part of the earth.
from Acts 2:32
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
from Acts 13:38
Namely, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
from II Corinthians 5:18
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
from II Corinthians 5:19
Look, what kind of love the Father has bestowed upon us, so that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not.
from I John 4:10
And will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
from I John 3:1 · a strong link
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, in which they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
from II Corinthians 6:18
a thread opens
Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
from Acts 17:31
Before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
from Psalms 9:8 · a strong link
And I saw heaven opened, and look, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war.
from Psalms 96:13 · a strong link
a thread opens
For truly against your holy child Jesus, whom you have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
By stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
from Acts 4:30
As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
from Acts 3:6
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
from II Corinthians 6:10
a thread opens
You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.
For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck: look, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
from Acts 7:51
And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very perverse generation, children in whom is no faith.
from Deuteronomy 31:27
They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.
from Deuteronomy 32:20
Then Jesus answered, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him here to me.
from Deuteronomy 32:5
Afterward he appeared to the eleven as they sat at table, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he had risen.
from Matthew 17:17
a thread opens
And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles.
But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
from Acts 22:21 · a strong link
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,
from Acts 9:15 · a strong link
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God,
from Galatians 1:15
And no man takes this honor to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
from Romans 1:1
The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, so that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to him, and to bless in his name for ever.
from Hebrews 5:4 · a strong link
And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
from I Chronicles 23:13
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Luke 12:49 along this chain. Today’s own vigil is laid separately.
Each verse follows the one before it along the chain a study Bible draws — a century old, public, and compiled by people arguing about Scripture rather than about how long you stay. Every card says which verse it came from and opens the chapter it belongs to. Today’s vigil is the same for every reader and is worked out from the date alone, so there is no account, no counter, and nothing stored in your browser or ours.
The text is the Lantern Modern Standard. The links are openbible.info’s cross-reference set (CC BY), the same apparatus behind the reader’s Echoes drawer. Read a whole book · Today’s table