A Reflection on Luke 9:51-56
As Jesus prepared for His journey to Jerusalem, He sent messengers ahead to arrange hospitality in a Samaritan village. But when the villagers learned He was heading to Jerusalem, they refused to welcome Him. The disciples James and John were furious and asked, "Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to destroy them?" Jesus rebuked His disciples for their vengeful response, and they simply moved on to another village.
Jesus knew exactly what He was walking into when He
sent those messengers ahead. The tension between Jews and Samaritans was real;
they were enemies who avoided each other's territory. But Jesus didn't let that
stop Him from asking for their hospitality anyway. When they slammed the door
in His face, He didn't argue or force His way in. He just moved on to the next
village. That's tolerance in action, not demanding acceptance but offering
friendship even to those who want nothing to do with you.
Sometimes when we share our faith, people just aren't ready to receive it.
Maybe they've had bad experiences with religion before, or they're going
through their own struggles that make them resistant to spiritual
conversations. It's not always about us personally; sometimes it's about
timing, circumstances, or where they are in their own journey with God. When we
encounter closed hearts, it doesn't mean our faith isn't valuable or that we're
doing something wrong. Jesus faced the same response, and He handled it with
grace and understanding.
James and John wanted revenge; they were ready to call down fire from heaven!
Sound familiar? When people treat us badly, our first instinct is often to want
them to pay for it somehow. But notice who Jesus rebuked, not the Samaritans
who rejected Him, but His own disciples who wanted retaliation. He's more
concerned with the condition of our hearts than with getting even. Carrying
anger and resentment only poisons us, while they go on with their lives just
fine.
Here's where your heart really matters: can you pray for those who reject you?
Can you see them as children of God even when they want nothing to do with you?
That's not being weak, that's being like Jesus. I don't care what someone's
politics are, what they believe, or how they've treated me. My job isn't to
judge them; it's to love them and pray for them. God knows their heart just
like He knows mine. All judgment belongs to Him, not us. When we choose love
over grudges and prayer over payback, we're following Jesus' example and
keeping our own hearts free from the poison of bitterness.
©2025 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
