When I was reflecting on this passage this morning, I was intrigued by the words of Jesus when he told his two disciples James and John, “You do not know of what sort of spirit you are….”.
What is most interesting is that these disciples traveled with Jesus for a while.
They saw him perform miracles and mighty works yet it appears that they did not grasp and understand His fundamental message and principle of love.
It is almost as if they still had a mistaken identity – at least momentarily.
Reading through the chapter, there are clues that suggest that the disciples were in a period of unrest, conflict or something. Examples are:
⁃ They were focused on trying to determine who was the greatest disciple vs just serving.
⁃ They were confounded by the charge from Jesus to feed the 5,000 men and their families.
⁃ They wanted to rebuke a man who was driving out demons in Jesus’ name but Jesus corrected them.
In the last case below, the disciples wanted to cause fire to come down on the Samaritan village who would not receive Jesus.
But my mind kept coming back to, “Why?” Why would the disciples have such a violent reaction to the village’s response? And as leaders, what can we learn from this?
Perhaps, they felt disrespected. If so, the scripture helps us adjust:
“Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense.” Proverbs 19:11 AMPC
OMG
Perhaps, they were angry:
“Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires].” James 1:19-20 AMPC
Help us Lord!
Perhaps they did not understand their identity in Christ. Scripture says: “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!
But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].”
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 AMPC
Selah
It is my prayer that we, the leaders, continue to seek out and strive to adopt the mind of Christ. We will need it to prevail in this season.
Be Blessed!
Be a Blessing!
“But [the people] would not welcome or receive or accept Him, because His face was [set as if He was] going to Jerusalem.
And when His disciples James and John observed this, they said, Lord, do You wish us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did? [II Kings 1:9-16.]
But He turned and rebuked and severely censured them. He said, You do not know of what sort of spirit you are,
For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them [from the penalty of eternal death]. And they journeyed on to another village.”
Luke 9:53-56 AMPC
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