The Journey Begins
- Deacon Dan DeLuca
- Sep 27, 2022
- 6 min read
In today’s Gospel, the journey begins. Jesus starts his march towards Jerusalem where he knows he will be met with the cross. Jesus is aware of the agony that awaits him yet he starts his journey resolute in his mission. Where does that resolve come from? How is it that Jesus is able to face such adversity with such strength? Let’s unpack today’s Gospel to help us better understand the answers to those questions.
A Samaritan Village Refuses to Receive Jesus
When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. Luke 9:51-56
Scriptural Analysis
Even though this passage is from Chapter 9, thematically Luke’s Gospel changes here. This event marks the start of the central section of the Gospel which is the travel narrative: Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem. The journey starts with this beautiful focus on God’s will. The opening phrase, “when the days drew near” is used to signify that the event is occurring at the time God willed it to occur. An actual literal translation of the Greek would state, “it happened in the coming to fulfillment of the days of his being taken up.” The word fulfillment notes that what Jesus is about to do was prophesied and now is God’s time for that prophesy to be fulfilled.
This first sentence of this passage also uses the phrase, “received up.” Luke means for this phrase to encompass Jesus’s entire mission culminating in his ascension. It is also worth noting that this passage parallels Elijah:
And as they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 2 Kings 2:11
Recall that twice in Chapter 9 we have heard how people have mistaken Jesus for Elijah. Luke is drawing these comparisons to then highlight the differences in order to eliminate Elijah as a possible identity for Jesus.
“Set his face” is used to describe the complete and total resolve that Jesus is starting his journey with. It also echoes words of the Prophet Ezekiel, “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel.“(Ezekiel 21:2) This is prophetic language foretelling what Jesus will do in Jerusalem. He will prophesy against the land of Israel. It also echoes the Third Servant Song from Isaiah, “therefore I have set my face like a flint.” (50:7). We continue to see Jesus claiming the suffering servant identify of Isaiah as a core component of his own Messianic identity.
The rift between the Jews and the Samaritans is based on the rivalry between the shrines of Mount Gerizim and Mount Zion as well as a whole host of disputes dating back centuries. It was common practice for Samaritans to not only turn a cold shoulder to Jews passing through but to actively try and prevent their travel. Jesus’s decision to go through Samaria was not a time saving measure but rather his way of opening up his message beyond those who worshiped in the temple. This Samaritan rejection here is not so much a rejection of Jesus as it is a reflection of this historic dispute.
James and John wanting to call down fire is yet another reference to Elijah:
But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. 2 Kings 1:10
Note that Elijah’s response is to bring down fire. Jesus, on the other hand, was tolerant and merciful. This is an attempt to draw a distinction between Jesus and Elijah: to show that Jesus is greater. It also serves to model to the disciples what is expected of a disciple. Saint Cyril of Alexandria says, “He did this so they might learn that as ministers of the divine tidings, they must rather be full of long-suffering and gentleness, not revengeful.”
Daily Application
As we examine this passage to determine where Jesus gets his resolve and strength, there are three themes to focus on: God’s will, mental focus, and tolerance. Looking into these three themes will help us better understand the source of his resolve and strength. Let’s start with looking at Jesus’s focus his Father’s will.
Jesus’s entire life was singularly focussed on doing the will of the Father. Everything he did was according to God’s will and done at the time God determined, not a moment before or a moment after. Is our life similar to that of Jesus. Is our primary objective to do the will of God on his time? When we enter into prayer what is our objective? Do we spend that time telling God what we want him to do and when we want it or did we strive to hear his voice telling us what he wants us to do and when he wants it done? Most certainly we are to bring our concerns before the Lord but far too often with the concerns we bring solutions as well. Then when God chooses a different way to answer that prayer we act as if he didn’t answer it at all. God answers all prayers but he does so according to his Divine will.
Second, we saw how Jesus “set his face” to the task of journeying to Jerusalem. Modern travel, especially in the United States, is so easy and convenient that I think we often forget how treacherous and difficult travel was during Jesus’s day. The parable of the Good Samaritan focuses on an individual who was beaten and robbed while traveling. This was not a rare occurrence but a common one which makes that parable even more impact as the traveler did not follow what would have been standard protocol to increase his chance of safe travels. Jesus was determine to do the will of the Father, to journey to Jerusalem. Nothing was going to prevent him from doing that. When God asks us to do something do we face that with the same sense of resolve? When the first roadblock arrises, do we give up: turn back for the safety of what we know? We need to trust in divine providence: trust that if we are doing the will of God then he will give us exactly what we need when we need it to see that his will is done.
Finally, when we encounter resistance, those who would block us, taunt us, despise us, are we tolerant? Is our response to smile and move on or like the Sons of Thunder, do we wish fire to rain down upon them? Tolerance is perhaps one of the most difficult concepts for a disciple to grasp. To be tolerant does not mean one agrees with or likes the behavior of another. It does not mean you fail to call out sinful behaviors. What it does mean is that you wish no harm upon people. Rather, we are to show those people love.
The source of all of Jesus’ resolve and strength is love. Jesus’s complete and total love of the Father means that he aligns his will with that of God’s. When you are doing what God ordains, it is much easier to push through and do it even when things get hard. It is much easier to set one’s face to the task at hand. Additionally, tolerance is not possible without love. It demands love so that the truth may always be preached even when people don’t want to receive it. The greatest commandments are to love God and to love neighbor. Jesus shows us today what that love looks like lived out. It is the resolve to begin the journey even when you know the cross that awaits you at the end.
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