How to avoid making the very same mistake the Samaritans made
By Dean Collins
Apparently even in the first century, many assigned motives to others without verifying their information. And some have the same tendency today. We may have a tendency to assume we know what others are thinking and why they’re doing what they’re doing. These assumptions often have to do with our preferences, our upbringing, our biases, and even our religious convictions.
All through Luke’s Gospel (honestly, all four Gospel records) time and time again we see both the religious and the nonreligious misunderstanding Jesus. They also frequently accused him of things he neither said nor did. When you’re convinced you know better, sometimes it appears you think you know better than God. And of course, that is exactly what was going on as God in the flesh lived among us on earth for roughly 33 years.
Heading toward Jerusalem
About midway through Luke’s Gospel the events that would lead to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus begin to accelerate. Late in chapter 9 Luke records that as the days were getting close for Jesus to fulfill his mission of love and redemption he “set his face” to go to Jerusalem. His face was set toward Jerusalem not because he loved the residents of Jerusalem more than the residents of Samaria. His decision to go to Jerusalem was a decision to fulfill his mission, which required his laying down his life for all people everywhere.
Jesus sent some of his disciples ahead of him to Samaria. Jesus earlier in his ministry demonstrated that he cared for all people. He didn’t go along with the political or religious biases of the Jews and the Samaritans. Jesus broke the traditional prejudices when he spoke to the woman of Samaria at the well early in his ministry. In fact, he spent a couple of days in Samaria teaching them about his kingdom. John tells us in the fourth chapter of his Gospel that many Samaritans came to believe his words after spending time with Jesus in their hometown.
But now a couple of years later when the disciples of Jesus go ahead of him and try to prepare a place for him as he passes through Samaria on the way to Jerusalem, the Samaritans rejected Jesus because his face was set on Jerusalem and not on Samaria. They clearly didn’t realize that his focus on getting to Jerusalem was the one thing that could and would heal the divide between those of Jerusalem and those of Samaria. Jesus’ mission was to die for the sins of both groups and everyone else. His mission would ultimately bring renewal and restoration to all people and the planet itself.
Missing the point
When you miss the point of the gospel you will also miss the opportunity to participate in the kingdom work Jesus is doing and will complete when he returns. When we miss what Jesus is all about we will default to acting with the biases of the disciples and the Samaritans in this story. The Samaritans rejected the disciples and the disciples of Jesus wanted to literally torch them with fire because they didn’t welcome them. They might have if Jesus had not rebuked his disciples and refocused them on his mission.
Maybe it’s time for all of us to pause and consider whether we are with Jesus on his mission or if we have drifted toward missions and causes that are tangential but not central to the work of Christ. Many of these tangential issues may be important, but if we are not careful they can become the things we worship. Our issues and our politics can become our religion.
Drifting
Daily prayer and reading of God’s Word give us the right atmosphere where we can and should ask God if we are drifting. If we aren’t focused on Christ and his mission, we can refocus. And this may lead us to align with the cause of Christ and the grace of God.
Let’s determine to set our face on Jesus and his kingdom. Jesus himself told us to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and then he basically will take care of all that we need. His grace, his mercy, his love, and his kingdom are sufficient to heal all of the other things we believe to be so important or sometimes more important than Christ in us the hope of glory.
Your time with God’s Word
Luke 9:51-56; John 4:39-42 ESV
Photo by Adrian Swancar at unsplash.com
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