Send Down Fire!

Do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?

The response James and John recommended for the Samaritans' lack of hospitality,

What did they expect from the Samaritans?

There was a deep rift between these Israelite cousins.

The Jews and the Samaritans.

They'd been at odds with each other for hundreds of years.

And their chief disagreement was over the proper center for worship.

The Samaritans said it was Mt Gerizim.

The Jews said it was Jerusalem.

And Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem—

How could they welcome him?

The Samaritans' refusal of hospitality was indeed a slight, an act of disrespect.

And John and James felt entitled to righteous indignation.

Their pride was wounded.

They felt the sting of rejection for themselves and for Jesus.

But Jesus rebuked James and John for their suggestion of overblown retribution.

And simply passed by and moved along to another town.

Jesus didn't suffer from his disciples' sense of pride.

He had proper perspective.

He had an understanding, merciful heart.

The Samaritans' disrespect was actually fairly minor.

At least in comparison to the disrespect that awaited him in Jerusalem.

The Samaritans' action really amounted to a lost opportunity for themselves.

It had it's own built-in punishment.

They were depriving themselves of time with Jesus.

A chance to learn, a chance to grow, an opportunity for wisdom and grace.

Their action was something to be lamented rather than further punished.

Unlike those Samaritans, we have no deep rift holding us back.

Because Jesus continued on and completed his mission in Jerusalem.

He reconciled us to our understanding, merciful God.

So let's learn from the Samaritans' mistake.

Let's make time to spend with Jesus.

Let's always welcome him.

Let's invite him into our lives—into our daily actions.

And not from fear of fire from heaven.

But from fear that we might let opportunity pass us by.

John and James had the wrong idea.

But, as it turns out, they stumbled onto the right words.

God has sent down his fire from Heaven.

And it awaits us—offering to fill us with His consuming love.

Tuesday, 26th Week of  Ordinary Time

Lk 9:51-56         Read this Scripture @usccb.org