Luke
9:51 When it came close to the time for Jesus to go back to heaven, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers on ahead. They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality. 53 But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality. 54 When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, "Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?" 55 Jesus turned on them: "Of course not!" And they travelled on to another village.
Food for thought!
When the time came, Jesus could no longer stay away from it, he had to go to Jerusalem. And going to Jerusalem meant certain death. Jesus knew it, and the people in the Samaritan village not only knew it but didn't want to be part of it. So they refused to cooperate; they refused hospitality to Jesus. The disciples James and John didn't like the villagers' reaction either. Solution? Call down fire from heaven to burn them alive.
In both instances, Jesus shows us how to deal with our enemies, or better with our adversaries, or those who disagree with us. In the first instance, the Samaritan villagers refused him welcome. And what did Jesus do? He just switched course. Instead of forcing his way thru the village, he just went thru another village. He clearly avoided confrontation. THEY ARE SOME FIGHTS THAT ARE NOT WORTH FIGHTING.
Another lesson from Jesus, is refraining from misusing our powers. James and John wanted to use their powers to call down fire on the village. They thought Jesus would praise them for that; he did not. ''Of course not'', he said. In other words, of course evil is not fought with evil; of course rejection is not resolved with ejection; of course eye for eye only augments the situation.
So what are we to do when rejected? Just go to another village. Remember Deuterenomy 32:35, which says, ''I'm in charge of vengeance and payback.'' In other words, vengeance lies not with us but with the Lord. He knows best when and how to retribute on our behalf.
57 On the road someone asked Jesus if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said. 58 Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know." 59 Jesus said to another, "Follow me." He said, "Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral." 60 Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God's kingdom!" 61 Then another said, "I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home." 62 Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day."
Here we have the words of Jesus to three would-be followers.
(i) To the first man, his advice was, "Count on difficulties." There is nothing like a problem free life. There is no road to victory without struggle; no crown without cross; no win without a fight.
(ii) Jesus' words to the second man sound harsh, but they need not be so. In all probability the man's father was not dead, and not even near death. His saying most likely meant, "I will follow you after my father has died." The point Jesus was making is that in everything there is a crucial moment; if that moment is missed the thing most likely will never be done at all. The psychologists tell us that every time we have a fine feeling, and do not act on it, the less likely we are to act on it at all. The emotion becomes a substitute for the action. Take one example, sometimes we feel that we would like to make a call, perhaps of sympathy, perhaps of thanks, perhaps of congratulations, perhaps for a business deal. If we put it off until tomorrow, it will in all likelihood never be. Jesus urges us to act at once when our hearts are stirred, to seize the opportunity.
(iii) His words to the third man state a truth which no one can deny. No ploughman ever ploughed a straight furrow looking back over his shoulder. There are some people whose hearts are in the past. They walk forever looking backwards and thinking wistfully of the good old days. If you drive the car with your eyes continually looking into the rearview, you crash. The Christian marches on, not to the past, but to the future; not to sunset, but to the sunrise. The watchword of the kingdom is not, "Backward!" but, "Forward!" To the third man Jesus did not say either, "Follow!" or, "Return!" he said, "I accept no lukewarm service," and left the man to make his own decision.
Food for thought!
When the time came, Jesus could no longer stay away from it, he had to go to Jerusalem. And going to Jerusalem meant certain death. Jesus knew it, and the people in the Samaritan village not only knew it but didn't want to be part of it. So they refused to cooperate; they refused hospitality to Jesus. The disciples James and John didn't like the villagers' reaction either. Solution? Call down fire from heaven to burn them alive.
In both instances, Jesus shows us how to deal with our enemies, or better with our adversaries, or those who disagree with us. In the first instance, the Samaritan villagers refused him welcome. And what did Jesus do? He just switched course. Instead of forcing his way thru the village, he just went thru another village. He clearly avoided confrontation. THEY ARE SOME FIGHTS THAT ARE NOT WORTH FIGHTING.
Another lesson from Jesus, is refraining from misusing our powers. James and John wanted to use their powers to call down fire on the village. They thought Jesus would praise them for that; he did not. ''Of course not'', he said. In other words, of course evil is not fought with evil; of course rejection is not resolved with ejection; of course eye for eye only augments the situation.
So what are we to do when rejected? Just go to another village. Remember Deuterenomy 32:35, which says, ''I'm in charge of vengeance and payback.'' In other words, vengeance lies not with us but with the Lord. He knows best when and how to retribute on our behalf.
57 On the road someone asked Jesus if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said. 58 Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know." 59 Jesus said to another, "Follow me." He said, "Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral." 60 Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God's kingdom!" 61 Then another said, "I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home." 62 Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day."
Here we have the words of Jesus to three would-be followers.
(i) To the first man, his advice was, "Count on difficulties." There is nothing like a problem free life. There is no road to victory without struggle; no crown without cross; no win without a fight.
(ii) Jesus' words to the second man sound harsh, but they need not be so. In all probability the man's father was not dead, and not even near death. His saying most likely meant, "I will follow you after my father has died." The point Jesus was making is that in everything there is a crucial moment; if that moment is missed the thing most likely will never be done at all. The psychologists tell us that every time we have a fine feeling, and do not act on it, the less likely we are to act on it at all. The emotion becomes a substitute for the action. Take one example, sometimes we feel that we would like to make a call, perhaps of sympathy, perhaps of thanks, perhaps of congratulations, perhaps for a business deal. If we put it off until tomorrow, it will in all likelihood never be. Jesus urges us to act at once when our hearts are stirred, to seize the opportunity.
(iii) His words to the third man state a truth which no one can deny. No ploughman ever ploughed a straight furrow looking back over his shoulder. There are some people whose hearts are in the past. They walk forever looking backwards and thinking wistfully of the good old days. If you drive the car with your eyes continually looking into the rearview, you crash. The Christian marches on, not to the past, but to the future; not to sunset, but to the sunrise. The watchword of the kingdom is not, "Backward!" but, "Forward!" To the third man Jesus did not say either, "Follow!" or, "Return!" he said, "I accept no lukewarm service," and left the man to make his own decision.
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