Tuesday September 30, 2025

Luke 9:51-56

Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.

So a part of me is very formal. In a weird way I am it tears into me when someone refers to Our Lord Jesus as simply Jesus. I think it is too casual, somewhat disrespectful. The disciples referred to him as “Lord.” There is a story in extra biblical sources that when St Peter’s wife was being taken to be beheaded, St Peter yelled out to her “Miriam my love, remember the Lord!!” Anyway that is neither here nor there just my pet peeve.

The Samaritans refused to accept Our Lord and his disciples. The disciples in turn wanted to show the Samaritans who was boss. Nobody gets to refuse the Son of God. Well, have you ever been rejected? It kinda rubs us the wrong way doesn’t it. I know that rejection makes me want to be even better so that the rejector will kick themselves for turning me down. Oh I hate to be rejected.

Our Lord says to the disciples, let’s move on. The time may not be right for the Samaritans to accept us. See, there is a time for everything under the sun. The gospel, the good news cannot be forced on people. Announce it and move on. And if you are rejected, maybe there is an opening to change our approach, to become better at it.

Preach on, and when it is necessary use words.