When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
Lk 9:51-62
The gospel is of two parts. The first part is about the refusal of a Samaritan village to give hospitality to Jesus and his disciples. The second part is about discipleship.
When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.
Being taken up refers not only to his ascension into heaven but also he’s be-ing raised on the cross. Resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem means that Jesus is resolutely determined to obey his Father’s will which is to die on the cross.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When Israel as a nation was exiled to Babylon, some were left behind. The Babylonians transplanted other peoples to Canaan. The remaining Israelites inter-married with these newcomers. The result was not only mixed race but a Jewish religion that was infected with the religion of these newcomers. As a result when the Israelite nation returned from the Babylonian exile, they refused to recognize the mixed race. Animosity developed. The Samaritans built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim to rival the temple in Jerusalem. This animosity explains why many Jews from Galilee skirted Samaria when they would go down to Jerusalem. And this also explains why the Samaritan village refused to give them hospitality.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
James and John were brothers. Zebedee was their father. They were called “sons of thunder” perhaps because of their impulsiveness—which is what we witness here. It is worth nothing how confident they were in the power of Jesus to give them the ability of destroying the Samaritan village.
The reaction of Jesus proves the words of Jesus: “The Son of Man did not come to condemn the world, but to save it.” Jesus did not come to destroy but to save.
We come now to the second part which is about discipleship. Disciple comes from a Latin word which means to follow. Hence, a disciple is a follower. In this instance, the disciple of Jesus is he/she who bears the name “Christian”.
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Jesus was an itinerant preacher. He was an NPA, no permanent address. He moved from village to village. When someone volunteered to follow up, Jesus up front tells him that life with him won’t be easy.
Let the dead bury their dead.
This seems to be saying that means “Don’t follow me, if you are hesitating.” Jesus demands 100% commitment from his followers.
No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.
If you plow and keep looking back, the furrows you make will be crooked. You can not be a disciple if you keep on regretting the things that you had to sac-rifice in order to be a disciple. Again Jesus demands 100% commitment.
LESSONS FOR LIFE
Jesus with his disciples in tow was making a journey to Jerusalem. I would like to use the paradigm of a journey to learn or re-learn lessons about life.
Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem by stages. Psychologists have identified several stages of life. The first few years of life are critical. The word of adults can de-stroy a child. Tell a child that his drawing is awful and he will never draw again. Tell a child that he is stupid and he will grow up convinced that he is stupid. In his letter, St. James went so far as to say that the tongue is like a flame whose fire comes from hell.
Conversely, we need external validation. We need to hear that we’re OK, that we’re doing well, that we are appreciated. Those studying to become teachers are taught in educational psychology that praise gets more results than blame. There should be more praise than blame. External validation is critical in the growing years so that the child will develop self-esteem. But we all need it. Don’t you feel good when you receive an affirmation? And it doesn’t cost you anything to give someone a tap on the shoulder and say: “Congratulations.” By the way, when you are praised for an accomplishment, what is the correct response? Don’t say: “Chamba lang yun.” Sino niloloko mo? Say, “Thank you.”
When you are on a hike, it is important to have a compass. If you get lost and you don’t have a compass, chances are you’ll just be walking in circles. You get nowhere. It’s so sad when a person has no direction in life. When a student keeps on shifting courses, he probably doesn’t know where he is going. God has a plan for each one of us. It is for us to discover what that is. Why? Because when we carry out that plan, we fulfil the meaning of our existence. When you feel fulfilled, you also feel happy. Tony Meloto of Gawad Kalinga might be ene of the happiest persons on earth.
Sometimes the journey is long. Sometimes it is short. St. Dominic Savio did not even live to celebrate his 15th birthday. It really doesn’t matter. What matters is not how many years there are in your life. What matters is how much life you have put into your years. St. Iraeneus agrees. He says: “The glory of God is a man fully alive.”
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The Salesians of Don Bosco is a religious congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to the welfare of the young. If you feel called by God to give your life for the good of the young, you may want help in discovering if this is really God's will for you. Please get in touch with the Vocation Director (Don Bosco North Province, Philippines) - 0917-7930112 - Bro. MON CALLO SDB.
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