Jesus is rejected by a Samaritan Village
51 As the time came nearer for Jesus to be taken up, he settled it in his mind to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead of him. They came into a Samaritan village to get them ready, 53 and they refused to receive him, because his mind was set on going to Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Master, do you want us to call down fire from heaven and burn them up?’ 55 He turned and rebuked them, 56 and they went on to another village.

As Jesus begins his final journey into Jerusalem, he and his disciples pass through Samaria. The Samaritans were a people related to the ancient Israelites of the Northern Kingdom.
They had a shared history with the Jewish people, but deep-seated hostilities between the two peoples were based on religious differences and territorial disputes.
The conflict between the Jewish people and the Samaritans in Jesus' day was not unlike the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians today.
That Jesus engaged with Samaritans, let alone used them as heroes in his parables, would be highly provocative to most Jewish people.
One of the disputes between the Jews and Samaritans was about proper locations for ceremonial worship. The Jews said it was the temple in Jerusalem and the Samaritans claimed it was the mountains of Samaria where the patriarchs had built their alters.
While Jesus and his disciples were passing through on their way to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, they were refused hospitality in a Samaritan village because of their religious differences.
James and John were so offended that they asked if they could call down fire from heaven and burn up the village! A reaction that I think we would all agree with is a bit strong.
James and John, who had just been with Elijah on mount Tabor pillaged the bible to find a warrant for their idea by citing the incident when Elijah twice called down fire from heaven.
What we see in today's reading is the aptly named “Sons of Thunder” trying to coerce the prince of peace into a drone strike of their enemies.
Yesterday we saw the idea floated that Jesus, Moses and Elijah be treated as equals with a shrine made for all three, but a voice from heaven said “This is my beloved son, listen to him!”
But today, James and John have apparently forgotten about what they heard and are looking to bring fire.
Jesus was unimpressed and rebuked the two disciples for and idea that, though we have seen in the bible, was utterly contrary to what Jesus came to accomplish.
All Scripture is fulfilled in and by Jesus Christ. So, if we don’t see it in Jesus, we need to let it go.
We are in constant contact with people we disagree with, and what Jesus is calling us to do is respond in love and peace, not hate and vengeance.
In today's reading, we see a group of people refusing to host another group of people because of their religious differences.
We also see some in the spurned group react in an unloving manner.
Jesus calls us to peace, even when we disagree with people.
Take some time to search your heart to see if you have ever reacted poorly towards those you disagree with? Perhaps take a moment to pray for those people.
Ask God if there may be steps you can take to build a relationship that may have been broken.


Music:
Salt Of The Sound:  Holy Ground
Simon Wester: Morning Prayer, Among Us 

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