Before you begin reading this blog, say a prayer that you will receive wisdom and understanding (seriously, close your eyes...pray...)
Now, read these verses from Luke 9 (Oh, and just some background on where you are in the story: Jesus and His Disciples have been going town to town healing people and teaching the Good News and Jesus' followers have seen some pretty miraculous things so they are "on fire" for God and ready to take on the world!)
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52And 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?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village. (Luke 9:51-56).
You know what sticks out to me the most? James' and John's statement, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" How often do we say things like, "what goes around comes around," or "I hope s/he gets what s/he deserves," or even the extreme statements like what some people were posting after a not-so-popular murder trial aired on T.V. How quickly James and John jumped to destroy these people who had wronged Jesus - their Teacher and Friend. It's so easy for Christians to say Jesus loves you and Christians are so forgiving and caring - but really, how often are we so eager to "call fire down from heaven" and destroy others? I get that at times we want justice served - but aren't you thankful that we have a Savior who has chosen to take our place where we are by default "guilty"? I am!
Did you catch the next part in the passage? Jesus turned "and rebuked them." The word "rebuke" according to Meriam-Webster means to criticize sharply. The Greek meaning has several definitions, some including "to tax with fault" or "to admonish or charge sharply." Either way, Jesus was not happy with their immediate response to such meanness and disobedience from the Samaritan village. Some manuscripts have added one additional response from Jesus - "You don't realize what your hearts are like. For the Son of Man has not come to destroy people's lives but to save them."
So, ok, the moral of the story...if we are to serve Christ and share the Gospel with others, our message should not be the "turn or burn" speech or "judge lest ye be judged" or whatever that one is. Jesus cared about saving people, so we should care about leading them to Jesus.
Your challenge? STOP calling down fire from heaven on people! Next time you're angry with someone or upset at the outcome of something or for whatever reason just want to call on your Jesus powers to create raining fire balls, stop and think of how Jesus rebuked James and John. And pray that there's some way Jesus can show you how to reach that person. Then, just as they did, move on to "another village."
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