Opportunity to minister in God’s name
As the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined to journey to Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead of himself, and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for him. But they did not welcome him, because he determined to journey to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village. Luke 9:51-56 From the text, Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem where the culmination of the purpose of His coming in this world would take place. Though His road will lead eventually to His ascension to heaven as Luke mentioned, but it will be a road of suffering, torture, death, burial, and resurrection. There are people already recognizing that He is the Messiah. Peter just made a great declaration when Jesus asked him who people say He was. And Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Luke 9:20). After that declaration, once again Jesus told them the purpose of His coming. “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus was set in accomplishing the Father’s will. “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). So when they were passing through a village where Samaritans were residing, He was rejected. They recognized Jesus that He was a Jew and they do not have anything good to say about the Jews. This rejection affected James and John that they requested Him to retaliate. Instead Jesus took the opportunity to teach His disciples that His mission is to bring people to the saving knowledge of God. He took the time to minister to the Samaritans and showed the love of God. He even sent out His disciples into the surrounding towns to minister to people (Luke 10:1). This is the Father’s will, to bring people to be reconciled with God. Always remember that when we came to know Christ as our Lord and Savior, we became co-workers where we will be involved in the lives of others so we could minister to them the love of God. “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Jesus was set to go to Jerusalem, yet on His way He healed lepers (see Luke 17:11-19), He brought salvation to the family of Zaccaheus (see Luke 19:1-10), and He continued to teach His disciples what it meant to follow God and to live out His will for their lives (see Luke 15:1-32). Don’t look at the opportunity to minister to others as distractions but a privilege to live out His purpose for your life. “To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:16).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
