NOTES for Luk 9:49-56
49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. |
50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. |
51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, |
52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. |
53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. |
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? |
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. |
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. |
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It is striking that Christ's disciples, until His very Resurrection from the dead, are held captive by common Jewish ideas. Faced with the Samaritans' refusal to receive Him, they are already ready to pray for fire from heaven and cite the prophet Elijah as an example to imitate.
It must be admitted that for many Christians over the centuries such a form of preaching appeared optimal. In one empire, a special theological theory was even devised according to which the emperor had to be converted to Christianity, and then by fire and sword he would conquer the whole world and drive all subject peoples into the faith. Everything would have been fine; it is only a pity that the empire fell before it managed to fulfill the mission laid upon it.
Christ's words in response to this strange thought of the disciples are simple and stern: "You do not know what spirit you are of". Though empires nowadays seem to have disappeared (perhaps fortunately), this temptation, and this rebuke by Christ of our inclination to violence, remain very important in the lives of individual people as well. It is not fitting to defend truth by force, because Truth conquers on the Cross.
Readings for 30 October 2025
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