Tuesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
In the text before us today from Luke, we hear two powerful words. One painful. One merciful.
The first word is about rejection. Jesus approaches a village of Samaritans and he is rejected. He has not even entered it before he gets word that he will not be received. That is a painful word. In response to this text, we might identify with Jesus and think about where we, like Jesus, have tried to enter and been rejected. To be turned away like that can really hurt. When it happens, a wound is created because we feel diminished as a human being by another human being.
But perhaps we should flip the scene. Rather than identify with Jesus here, perhaps we should consider how and when we have acted like the Samaritans. When do we refuse others entry into our “village,” perhaps even sight unseen? With all that is in the news these days about orders to refuse people from this or that country entry into the United States, these are not idle questions. And we should pray about how we respond to such ordered rejections made in our name as if they serve as protection for us.
James and John clearly don’t appreciate the Samaritans’ rejection of Jesus, and they have an idea as to how Jesus should respond. They think he should bring fire down upon them—destroy them. That may seem like a reasonable response. They were understandably upset that the Son of God and his followers were being turned away. And they wanted their revenge.
We can think of plenty of examples of rulers in this world who have done and do enthusiastically embrace such a response. If someone has offended them, they want their revenge and mean to get it. But that is not the sort of lord the disciples or we follow. And for that, Jesus’ Kingdom has been rightly called an “upside down kingdom”. It turns all the rules of worldly kingdoms on their heads. Jesus makes clear to his followers and to us in this story and, even more, on the cross that violence never serves the kingdom. It only ever causes more pain and loss and, usually, more calls for revenge.
This simple gesture that Jesus makes in this story—he rebukes James and John and heads off to another village—should give us all pause. Jesus has no time of day for vengeance or violence. And neither should we.
- Sue Trollinger