Thursday after the Fifth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on July 4, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 9:51-56 (NKJV)
9:51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 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?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Devotion
The time had come for Jesus to die for the sins of the world, and so He was journeying to Jerusalem for the Passover. As He passed by the region of Samaria, He hoped to preach to some of the Samaritans, but they did not receive Him. When they heard that Jesus was going to Jerusalem, they resented Him, since the Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim instead of at Jerusalem (John 4:20).
Their rejection of the Messiah was indeed serious. Unless these Samaritans came to acknowledge the true God and believe in His Son, they would finally perish in hellfire. But the time for that destruction was not yet. God was still working to save these Samaritans. In fact, Jesus’ face was set toward Jerusalem for that very purpose. He was going to die for them and take away their sins. Years later, the Apostles would come back and preach this forgiveness to them. Then they would believe, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14ff).
This is a comfort for us. As Jesus patiently worked repentance and faith in the stubborn Samaritans, He patiently works repentance and faith in us. Jesus is not desirous that any of us should be destroyed. He has come to save our lives from sin.
Collect: O God, Who hast prepared for them that love Thee such good things as pass man’s understanding: Pour into our hearts such love toward Thee, that we, loving Thee above all things, may obtain Thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
