The Gospel of Luke 9:51-62
When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:1,13-25
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, you set your face toward Jerusalem with courage and clarity. Help me to follow you with the same resolve. When I am tempted to turn back or delay, remind me that your call is urgent and your path is life-giving. Strengthen my heart to walk forward, even when the road is hard. Amen.
Two very powerful pieces of scripture that could be an editorial in today’s paper, pick either one they both portray life then and life today and it causes us to look at some of the personalities of people in charge.
Paul urges believers to live in the freedom Christ has given not as a freedom for self-indulgence, but as a call to love and serve one another. Paul calls the Galatians to stand firm in their spiritual liberty. He reminds us that freedom isn’t about doing whatever we want, it’s about choosing love. Paul writes, “Use your freedom to serve one another humbly in love.” This echoes Jesus’ teaching that the entire law is fulfilled in the command to love your neighbor as yourself. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These aren’t just virtues to strive for, they are evidence of the Spirit’s transformative work in us.
So how do we see the Gospel of Luke tying into this?
This passage of Luke marks a turning point in Jesus’ ministry. It begins with the striking phrase, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” This signals Jesus’ unwavering determination to fulfill his mission, even knowing it will lead to suffering and death. Have you ever been so absorbed that you were oblivious to what was happening around you? As Jesus went through the Samaritan village, he was unaware to the fact they appeared to snub Him. The Samaritan village rejected Jesus because they had a different agenda or traditional belief. When he encounters the three disciples, they had noticed The disciples wanted to take revenge by calling fire from heaven to consume them. Somehow, we may be like these disciples. Many human beings have the tendency to punish right away anyone who rejects them or contradicts them. But not Jesus. He gives people enough time to repent and accept Him. Jesus rebukes them, reminding us that his mission is not one of vengeance but of mercy. This scripture challenges us to observe the world today as we see major acts of retaliation, The United States bombing Iran, Isreal bombing Iran and Gaza, and Russia bombing Ukraine. Obviously, they did not understand the lesson from Luke and the words of Paul to the Galatians about loving your neighbor. Jesus is definitely not a billionaire politician whom some idolize. Yet We follow Him because He is our Lord who saved us from eternal damnation by His death and resurrection. We follow Him because He is the way, the truth and the life. This passage invites deep self-reflection: Are we living in freedom that expresses itself through love? Are we cultivating the fruit of the Spirit in our relationships and choices? Our choices tell how we understand the words of Jesus when He said Love your neighbor.
Let us Pray: God of compassion, when I face rejection or opposition, teach me not to respond with anger or vengeance. Like Jesus rebuking his disciples, rebuke the fire in me that seeks to retaliate. Fill me instead with your peace, that I may be a vessel of your grace in a divided world. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 