Rachel Workman: 51 As the time
approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for
Jerusalem. 52 And
he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things
ready for him; 53 but
the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.
54 When
the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to
call fire down from heaven to destroy them[b]?”
55 But
Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then
he and his disciples went to another village. Vengeance, I'm sure that's
what the disciples were thinking. Notice how Jesus reacted. He just adjusted
his plans. I wonder how many times Jesus has adjusted his plan due to my
decisions. My guess is too many.
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Mike Grimm:
51 As the time
approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for
Jerusalem. Although Jesus knew he would face
persecution and death in Jerusalem, he was determined to go there. That kind of
resolve should characterize our lives too. When God gives us a course of
action, we must move steadily toward our destination, no matter what potential
hazards await us there. 52 And he sent messengers on
ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but
the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When
the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to
call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” When
James and John were rejected by the Samaritan village, they didn’t want to stop
at shaking the dust from their feet. They wanted retaliate by calling down fire
from heaven on the people, as Elijah did on the servants of a wicked king of
Israel (2 Kings 1). When others reject or scorn us, we too may feel like
retaliating. We must remember that judgment belongs to God, and we must not
expect him to use his power to carry out our personal vendettas. 55 But
Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples
went to another village.
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Tomorrow’s reading for Luke 9:59-62
57 As
they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you
wherever you go.”
58 Jesus
replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place
to lay his head.”
59 He
said to another man, “Follow me.”
But
he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus
said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the
kingdom of God.”
61 Still
another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say
goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus
replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service
in the kingdom of God.
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