Luke 9:51–56 (ESV)
A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make
preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us
to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village.
When Jesus’ overture to the Samaritans is rejected, His apostles imagine that harsh retribution is in order. Such thinking is typical, unfortunately, as age-old conflicts die hard. We may easily resort to similar bad judgment.
Yet, Jesus makes peace, not only with God but also between people. In Christ, all who repent are fully reconciled to the Father.
I pray: Lord, remove all sinful division
and enmity from Your Church, that we love just as You have loved us. Amen.
Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 1733.