Luke 9: 51-55 When the Days Drew Near

Luke 9: 51-55 When the Days Drew Near

[51] When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. [52] And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; [53] but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. [54] When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" [55] But he turned and rebuked them. [56] Then they went on to another village.

What is happening in this scripture?
(Historical context of Jews and Samaritans) - Israel and Judah split into two kingdoms in the ninth century. King Omri, ruler of the Northern Kingdom bought the hill of Samaria. He built the capital city of Samaria there. During the Babylonia siege of Jerusalem or thereabouts, many of the citizens of Samaria were also carried off. Some farmers and others were not. Eventually there were marriages with other peoples. The second book of Kings says that the king of Assyria sent a priest from the exiled people to teach the Samaritans left how to worship Yaheweh appropriately. Apostasy, the worship of other gods had begun to take place on a large scale.

Cyrus of Babylon finally permitted the Jews to return. Samaritans tried to welcome them back but they were seen by the returning Jews as not faithful. Their help in rebuilding the temple was refused. This created even more hostility between these peoples. Nehemiah says that a grandson of the high priest Eliashib married a daughter of Sanballat, the governor of Samaria. Nehemiah drove Eliashib from Jerusalem for defiling the priesthood, by marrying outside of the faith, even though Sanballat worshipped Yahweh.

The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that Sanballat had a temple built on Mount Arizim so his son-in-law Eliashib could carry out his priestly duties. A full and final break resulted between the Samaritans and the Jews.

A very interesting scripture here. Jesus, who had told the parable of the good Samaritan, and who had spoken with the Samaritan woman at the well, sends messengers ahead of himself, after setting his face towards Jerusalem. The Samaritan village will not receive him, (receive his teaching or extend the hospitality of food and shelter, or both?) after finding out that he had set his face upon Jerusalem. James and John, highly offended, asked Jesus if he wanted them to ask God to send fire down upon their village. Jesus stops, turns, and rebukes James and John for suggesting such vengeance. Then he sets out for another village.

In this scripture, no one is getting it. The Samaritans allow their age old animosities to block them from accepting the good news, and the disciples allow their prejudice from hearing what the good news is. Jesus is teaching the two commandments, love God with all you have and love your neighbor as yourself. The Samaritans are jealous because Jesus has his face set upon Jerusalem, another slam against the Samaritans and who has the REAL temple. James and John want Godly revenge. Even as the days draw near, as the scripture says, Jesus is still not understood by those he has tried to befriend or even those closest to him. Luke tells us there was little difference between the Samaritans or the disciples, as far as understanding Jesus. Both allowed resentment, hate, fear, and past offenses to block the proclamation that the kingdom of God was near.

How is this happening in the world today? – How many people like us can identify with either the people of the Samaritan village or James and John? The kingdom of God, the opportunity to do new things, brave things, love one another without reservation, comes to our village, and we, out of fear, prejudice, resentment, past hurts, miss the opportunity? How many people like us can identify with James and John, ready to ask God to hurl down fire upon those we feel have offended or rejected us? Jesus has his face set, in Jerusalem, on confronting the normalcy of our everyday evil. He is walking fast, and we can join him or get caught in the webs of our own hatred.

How is this story my story? – Lord, I know your kingdom is near, as near as the next breath I take, as near as the face of the other person I am speaking to. Give me the courage to receive you into my village with hospitality, and not let my fear, hatred or resentments block me from setting my own face towards my own Jerusalem.

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