…And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village. (Luke 9:51-56)
Within this text we learn about a Samaritan village who did not want to accept Jesus. They possibly rejected Jesus because of grudges against the Jews of Jerusalem, but did not understand that He was on His way to give Himself as an offering for the whole world. This rejection angered James and John who immediately wanted to destroy the village. Yet Jesus’ answer revealed His heart for people. He did not come to destroy but to save. Leaving this village He went to another. In this way the first first village lost their opportunity. Another village was willing and received God in their midst.
We can look at the attitudes of these two villages. A time to meet with God can pass us by if we cling to grudges. We can further ask ourselves; do we show the same attitude as Jesus when people reject us? Like Him, we are not called to destroy but to save.
