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About-Him.Com Devotional 07-24-04
Wouldn't it be nice if we all agreed on everything? A bit boring perhaps, but nice none the less. In our segment below, James and John, having been to the Mount of Transfiguration were full of religious zeal, and also of intolerance. "Jesus, Let us call fire down from heaven on these infidels just as Elijah did." Jesus issued a stinging rebuke, "You do not know what spirit you are of."
I believe the point that must be considered is that Jesus was walking steadfastly towards Jerusalem and His destiny at Calvary. He was soon to die for the sins of all mankind. When I desire to draw a line as to who is in and who is out, I must remember this. I believe that the blood that He shed on the cross of Calvary has to be the basic uniting factor among us all. Why not strike up a conversation with your neighbor of another denomination and see just what you have it common. It may be a lot more than you think!
The Life of Christ from His Baptism to His Ascension:
143: His Rejection by the Samaritans - LU. 9:51-56
Luke 9:51 ¶ And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly 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.
Jesus proceeded on His journey to Jerusalem with steadfast determination. Once again, just as He had done when He met the women at the well in Sychar, He traveled directly through Samaria rather than traveling around it.
The Samaritan village refused Him entry because it appeared that He was traveling towards Jerusalem. This incensed James and John, the sons of thunder (Mark 3:17), who asked permission to call down fire from heaven. They had recently seen Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration and had been endowed by Jesus with special powers to heal the sick and cast out demons. They were confident that they would be able to call down fire from heaven, just as Elijah had done against the prophets of Baal.
Jesus rebuked them sharply, saying that they didn’t realize what spirit they were manifesting. His mission was to save the lost rather then to destroy them. Jesus took the rejection in stride and simply went to another village.
Conclusion and Application:
The fact that Jesus traveled directly through pagan Samaria rather than circumventing it as the more religious sects did, demonstrate that He is no respecter of persons. He was willing to minister the good news of the kingdom to all who would hear (John 4:4).
The attitude of the Samaritans was to be expected. They couldn’t tolerant somebody passing by and ignoring their pagan temples while on their way to worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Pretty much the attitude of the world today against committed Christians.
The attitude of James and John in wanting to call fire from heaven against unbelievers is in direct opposition to the mind and spirit of the Savior. He had come to save, not to destroy. Although the disciples at this point had been given special powers they were not yet baptised with the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:8). Their flesh was rising up to the point that they were willing to abuse the spiritual gifts they had been given. However, after Pentecost, all of the twelve had a drastic conversion (Mattthew 16:23; Luke 22:32). They preached the gospel to the ends of the earth to all kinds of people and gave their lives in the process.
Spiritual gifts in the hands of carnal men can be extremely dangerous.
Unfortunately the spirit manifested by both the Samaritans and James and John is still very active today. "My denomination has all the truth there is to have. Your’s has nothing!" That attitude comes directly from Satan. Let’s put a check on our spirits. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.
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Humor
"A nervous young minister, new to the church, told the flock, "For my text today, I will take the words, 'And they fed five men with five thousand loaves of bread and two thousand fishes."
A member of the flock raised his hand and said, "That's not much of a trick. I could do that."
The minister didn't respond. However, the next Sunday he decided to repeat the text. This time he did it properly, "And they fed five thousand men with five loaves of bread and two fishes. " Smiling, the minister said to the noisy man, "Could you do that, Mr. Perkins?"
The member of the flock said, "I sure could"
"How would you do it?"
"With all the food I had left over from last Sunday!"
Quote
"Some people do not like to hear much of repentance; but I think it is so necessary that if I should die in the pulpit, I would desire to die preaching repentance, and if out of the pulpit I would desire to die practicing it." -Matthew Henry
Keep Looking Up!
Don & Marie Spooner
About Him! Ministries
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