Tag: Samaritans

When James And John Wanted To Send Fire

Neal Pollard

In Luke nine, the inspired doctor writes about a certain group of Samaritan villagers who would not show hospitality to Jesus and His disciples.  This did not sit well with James and John, who asked Christ, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” (9:54).  They probably did not expect that the Lord would rebuke them for having such an idea, but He did.

What made these sons of thunder think of fire?  Earlier in the chapter, the brothers had met Elijah up on the mount of transfiguration (30-34).  There’s good reason to believe that the route they were taking back to Jerusalem would have put Mount Carmel in view on the horizon.  Recently, they had heard the discussion about who people thought Jesus was and the mention of Elijah (19).  Elijah could well have been very much on their minds!  Elijah was a man who you would associate with fire.  He prayed for God to send fire upon his evening offering to prove Jehovah to be the only true God (1 Kings 18:38; Elijah killed the 450 false prophets of Baal for good measure).  In 2 Kings 1, Elijah sat upon a hill and sent word back to Ahaziah that he would die of his illness since he prayed to Baal-zebub rather than the true God.  Ahaziah sent three companies of 50 soldiers up the hill to bring Elijah down to the wicked king, and Elijah called down fire from heaven to kill the first two captains and their fifty men.  In 2 Kings two, Elijah is carried to heaven by a chariot and horses of fire (11).

James and John were probably, as good Jews, students of Old Testament history. They knew how God had acted against the wickedness of those in Old Testament times.  It is not implausible that they were hoping for a similar showing from God.

It is interesting that Jesus, who came to earth to show us the Father (cf. John 14:9), did not share their desire for fiery vengeance on that occasion.  Why? He says, “The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (9:56).  The Samaritans were part of those whom He came to save.  He tells the disciples to take the gospel to the Samaritans (Acts 1:8).  Ironically, John would go with Peter to the Samaritans to do “follow up” work with the new Christians there (Acts 8:14).

Maybe James and John wrestled with the nationalism that infected so many of their contemporaries.  Maybe they saw Samaritans as worthless people, worthy of fire for even the slightest slights and fractional infractions.  But, Jesus saw them as souls to be saved.

Do the atheists, false world religionists, and all others in error draw your ire and contempt as they flaunt God’s Word?  What would you have God to do with them?  I will tell you what He wants us to do with them.  Share the good news of grace and the hope of salvation.  Most will reject it, maybe even laughing you and God to scorn.  But some will change!  Through us, they can escape the fire (Matt. 25:41)!

Avoiding The Samaritans

Friday’s Column: Supplemental Strength


Brent Pollard

I recall a decision in 1999 to take the “scenic route” home from the Richmond (Virginia) metropolitan area, where I had attended a lectureship, to my home in Coffee County, Tennessee. West Virginia and Kentucky indeed proved to be beautiful states, but I added about three hours to my trip. I was exhausted. I decided to stick to the fastest route in the future.

In New Testament times, there were many routinely taking the longer route. No, they were not enjoying the scenery. According to Charles F. Pfeifer, author of Baker’s Bible Atlas:

“Prejudice was so great that many Jews chose to detour across the Jordan and travel through Peraea, rather than go through the land of the despised Samaritan, when making trips from Galilee to Judah.”  (Pfeifer 1)

It appears a trip through Peraea was more palatable since it was a district inhabited by Jews during New Testament times. I wonder how many hours this detour added to their journeys?

Jesus made a point by traveling through Samaria on this one occasion. What was that point?  Everyone needs Him. I imagine this point seems less significant compared to the “meatier” portions of John 4. Typically, we focus on His discourse with the woman at the well. Yet, note verse 4. Translations vary in the wording, of course, but the gist is that Jesus had to travel through Samaria.  (I do not deny that His rationale may have been logistical, to save time. Regardless of the exact reasoning, however, Jesus intended for the Samaritans to hear the Gospel. We see early Christians taking the Gospel there in Acts 8. Therefore, Jesus provides an example by speaking to the Samaritan woman, showing Samaritans deserve the Truth.

That the Gospel is for all was a hard lesson for even the Apostles to learn. Consider the example of Peter. The Lord chose Peter to preach to the first Gentile convert to the Faith (cf. Acts 10.9-15,28). Even so, Paul had to later rebuke Peter for avoiding the company of Gentiles for the Jews who had recently come from Jerusalem (cf. Galatians 2.11-14). Can this not also be a hard lesson for us? In our era of identity politics, it is easy to feel uncomfortable among those who do not share our demographic. Thus, we go out of our way to avoid others with whom we share less in common. We avoid others because they have more or less melanin in their skin. Socioeconomic difference likewise becomes a justification for avoidance. Maybe we don’t want to associate with someone less educated than ourselves. Whatever the reason, we may go out of our way to avoid such persons.

It is time for us to stop the unnecessary detours we take to avoid contacting those making us “uncomfortable.” Everybody needs Jesus. The Lord expects that you and I must go through Samaria too!

Sources Cited:

1 “New Testament Palestine.” Baker’s Bible Atlas, by Charles F. Pfeiffer, Baker Book House Co., 1961, pg. 191.