But the people there did not welcome him. (Luke 9:53)
We all like to think that, had we lived in Jesus’ day, we would have been among those who welcomed him, sat at his feet, listened to every word, and followed him even to the cross. Yet I wonder how many of us have blind spots or hang-ups that, even today, prevent us from following Jesus where he would lead us.
The Samaritans tend to take a lot of heat from Christians—just as they did from the Jewish people of Jesus’ day—and so we want to be careful to be fair to them. In today’s passage, a group of Samaritans—we don’t know who or how many—resisted having Jesus stay in their city when they found out he was on his way to Jerusalem. The Samaritans were indeed waiting for the Messiah, yet they believed the “holy city” was not Jerusalem but Samaria. In their minds, a Messiah heading to Jerusalem was no Messiah at all. So they chose not to follow him there or even welcome Jesus into their midst.
We, too, must be careful not to allow our own biases, blind spots, or preconceived notions prevent us from welcoming Jesus or following where he leads. May we always be ready to love, welcome, and include as Jesus does. May we never let our own patterns of thinking prevent us from following where he leads.
Let Jesus—not your own way of thinking—be your guide.
Kevin R. Scott is a pastor and author of “ReCreatable: How God Heals the Brokenness of Life”. He lives with his family in middle Tennessee.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
