Samaritan village to prepare a lodging for him. But the people would not receive
him, because he was on his way to Jerusalem. Seeing this, James and John, his disciples, said,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to reduce them to ashes?” Jesus turned and
rebuked them, and they went on to another village.
Reflect:
Some of the disciples have witnessed the Transfiguration, Peter has declared Jesus as the
Messiah, and Jesus has just spoken about his paschal destiny… but the disciples are still in a
narcissistic cocoon : they are fighting about who is the greatest among them; they stop
someone from healing people in Jesus’ name because he isn’t one of them; and they now
want fire to come down and burn the Samaritan village because it was not hospitable to them…
Jesus turns and rebukes them. Some earlier versions of the Bible tell us that he rebuked
them saying, “Ye know now what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come
to destroy men's lives, but to save them” (King James Version, 9: 55b-56). This must
become a daily examination of conscience for Christians: “What kind of spirit do I have? Is it
one of tribalism, jealousy, violence, and exclusion; or is it one of humility, fraternity, inclusive
love, and delight in the other?”
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