Luke 9:51–62 ESV – Bible Gateway
This begins a major section in Luke that is the beginning of the final journey to Jerusalem. He has set his face on this journey. A verse from the third servant song of Isaiah provides key background: “I have set my face like flint, / knowing that I shall not be put to shame” (Isa 50:7). Also in Ezek 21:7 “Son of man, turn your face toward Jerusalem: preach against its sanctuary, prophesy against the land of Israel.”
Brant Pitre writes:
Luke always has his eyes ultimately on the end of his gospel, which is going to be Jesus ascending into heaven. It’s not just the cross; it’s not even just the resurrection. It’s him being taken up into heaven. That’s the culmination of Jesus’ exodus that he’s going to accomplish in Jerusalem.[1]
Jesus sends messengers ahead of him to make preparations before entering a Samaritan village. It is entirely plausible that the Samaritans would be very interested in Jesus and the stories about him that had already traveled to them. The fact that his ultimate destination is Jerusalem is a barrier for them since Mt. Gerizim was established as basically a rival altar that they used instead. Historically there was already conflict between the Samaritans and Israelites over this. This conflict was on the rise. The historian Josephus wrote about Jewish pilgrims being murdered by Samaritans as they passed through and that there was a supposed plot to place human bones in the Jerusalem Temple to defile it during Passover. Likely there was also increased violence against the Samaritans themselves.
John and James react against their refusal to see them in a way once again earning the sobriquet “Sons of Thunder.” A lot is going on here as they reference calling down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans. We can see this as a reference to Genesis 19, where God rains down fire from heaven upon the Sodom and Gomorrah, and Eli’jah calls down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. John the Baptist has been killed, and possibly these brothers see themselves picking up John’s role in the spirit and power of Eli’jah.[2]
This question they put forth to Jesus, it seems, they expect a reply for their zeal. They have seemed to forget many messages from Jesus they had heard on their journey involving loving your neighbor. They have let their prejudice override this. It only states that Jesus rebukes them for this and that they move on to another village instead. Some early manuscripts expand Luke 9:55 to include, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of, for the Son of man came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’”[1] Whether or not this was in the original text, it gets to the heart of why they were rebuked. The Samaritans wanted Jesus on their terms, and James and John also wanted Jesus to react on their terms.
The Gospel continues to relate two encounters with men who either wanted to follow Jesus and one where Jesus called them to follow him. They are examples of the commitment to follow Jesus unreservedly. An interesting aspect is that this also relates to Genesis 19, where Lot’s wife looks back, despite being warned not to. This also relates to the example of Eli’jah and Eli’sha with a difference. In the case of Eli’jah, he grants Eli’sha’s request to say goodbye to his parents and dispose of his property rather quickly. Jesus’ does not give the same type of request to the young man he calls to follow him. His demand supersedes even the love of parents mandated in the Old Testament. Jesus is implicitly revealing his divine identity in doing this. When God indeed calls us to do something, it supersedes all earthly attachments as it is not only meant for our good but for others. There is also a question regarding the man’s request to bury his father because it might be that his father has not yet even passed. Jesus knows us intimately and only calls us towards the good. It is straightforward for us to devise delaying tactics for his call. Delays that in everyday situations are our duty.
Discernment is involved, but once we are intellectually convinced he is calling us for something—we must respond.
Peter Kreeft comments on this passage:
God always has a good reason for asking us every single thing he asks of us. And there is no reason for us to think that we will always recognize what that good reason is. Why should we think we will? Do we think we are as wise as God is? If our God never asked us to do or endure things that we did not understand, it would not be the true God at all because that mind would be equal to our own mind.[3]
If you think Jesus is calling you to maintain a status quo with no changes required, it is not Jesus. If you hear Jesus calling you to a radical change in your life that is not comfortable or reassuring, he is leading you to eternal life.
Regarding Jesus’ comment that he has nowhere to rest, the Catechism says:
544 The kingdom belongs to the poor and lowly, which means those who have accepted it with humble hearts. Jesus is sent to “preach good news to the poor”; he declares them blessed, for “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” To them—the “little ones”—the Father is pleased to reveal what remains hidden from the wise and the learned. Jesus shares the life of the poor, from the cradle to the cross; he experiences hunger, thirst, and privation. Jesus identifies himself with the poor of every kind and makes active love toward them the condition for entering his kingdom.
Sources
- Catholic Productions, Commentaries by Brant Pitre
- The Gospel of Luke, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Rev. Pablo T. Gadenz
- Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings Year C
- The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings for Year C – John Bergsma
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition
- Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
- Catholic Productions, Brant Pitre ↩
- Navarre, Saint Luke’s Gospel (2005) ↩
- Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings Year C ↩
