When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
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 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 9:51-56)
God is great. He is “ALL”: all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful, all-et cetera.
Yet, there is a way, it seems, to “thwart” that power.
We do it simply by saying “No.”
Nothing can separate us from the love of God — except, that is, for ourselves.
Nothing can prevent God from healing us — except, that is, for ourselves.
Nothing can keep God from coming into our lives — except, that is, for ourselves.
That is what happened in the Gospel passage.
The people in the Samaritan village would not welcome the Lord. They did not want Him or His followers to come into their village.
The disciples wanted to pray fire to come down from the sky to destroy them.
Jesus rebuked the disciples.
However, they received, in my thought at least, something just as bad: Jesus walked away from them.
They would not, did not, want Him. He acknowledged their free will decision and went away.
It is tragic that this action is repeated each day in so many places by so many people. Jesus wants to come to them. They tell Him to go away.
Jesus wants to come to you today.
What are you going to tell Him?
FAITH ACTION: Try to set aside all of your demands, all of your desires, all of your needs. Just ask the Lord to come into your life today.