Luke 9:51-56 – Learning not to take offence

Acceptance, approval, and appreciation are three things men crave for. We get offended and could even turn hostile when we perceive that we are being rejected. This seems to be the case with the disciples of Jesus in this passage. In seeking to make sense of Luke 9:51-56, we need to bear in mind that the disciples were on a journey with Jesus. And while they journeyed with Him, He was shaping their lives.  

 

We are told in verse 51 that Jesus was resolutely heading for Jerusalem. As Christians, we know He was obviously going there to advance the plot for why He came - His crucifixion, death and resurrection. Luke was quick to point out the climax of it all - His ascension. Since Samaria was between Galilee and Jerusalem (in Judea), He originally wanted to go there. Jewish history tells us that the Jews and the Samaritans were bitter enemies. Hence, they just hated each other intensely. From the account Jesus had with the Samaritan woman in John's Gospel, we know that Mount Gerizim was the place of worship for the Samaritans. Whereas, the Jews had always worshipped in Jerusalem.

 

With that historical backdrop in mind, we see why the messengers of Jesus were rejected by the people from that village of the Samaritans. The Lord's intended destination to Jerusalem was perceived as evidence that He sided with the Jews. Hence they did not receive Him. The proposal by James and John to call down fire from heaven to consume them underscores the deep animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans. The two disciples’ reaction indicates to us that they didn't grasp the mission of Jesus. They had totally forgotten His earlier instruction to just dust the dirt off their sandals and move on when rejected. They were never told to seek vengeance but to proclaim the message of the Kingdom. Their hostile spirit and their lack of charity invited a rebuke from the Lord before they left for another village. This account reminds us on how quickly we can drop our Christian charity when offended. It also reveals how quickly we can forget His instruction, and the mercy we have received from Him, when we feel unaccepted.

Like the disciples, we are also journeying with Jesus. He will use every encounter we have to hone us. Know that not everything we run into in life will be a pleasant one. And we need to deal rightly with the unpleasant ones. How do we act in unpleasant circumstances? Respond or react? We can choose to be proactive. Take each encounter in life as God's dealing. When offended, pause before we act. Take a moment to reflect. Think of His instruction and His mercy that we have received. Remember, to whom much is given, much is required.