Samaritan Inhospitality

Today's Reflections

                               

 

     

 

Samaritan Inhospitality 

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Lk 9:51-62

⁵¹When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, [Jesus] resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, ⁵²and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, ⁵³but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. ⁵⁴When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” ⁵⁵Jesus turned and rebuked them, ⁵⁶and they journeyed to another village.

⁵⁷As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁵⁸Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” ⁵⁹And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “[Lord,] let me go first and bury my father.” ⁶⁰But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” ⁶²[To him] Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Reflection:

Jesus resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem. There Jesus knows he will meet his end and be taken up (in glory). An incident shows the heart of Jesus. When the Samaritans do not give them hospitality, James and John, called “sons of thunder” by Jesus, show themselves deserving of their name by asking if Jesus wants them to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans. Jesus does not agree. They just go to another village.

Subsequent events show the wisdom of Jesus. Later, when the first Christians will be persecuted and have to flee from Jerusalem, they will seek refuge with and will be received by the Samaritans who will become believers (Acts 8:4-25).

We must not be angry at those who do not accept Christ. We must pray for them. God’s timing is not always our timing. Let us wait for the time of God.

The second half of the Gospel talks of different candidates for discipleship. Jesus deals with them individually, addressing different challenges to them. The call to be a Christian, to be a priest, to be a religious, or to marry or remain single for God’s sake is a very personal call.

Listen to the call of Jesus

deep in your heart!