AND THEY WENT TO ANOTHER VILLAGE Luke 9.59
Dorothy and I have recently visited a number of beautiful villages in North Yorkshire and felt at home in each of them. Here is the account of a village with a very different attitude to visitors.
"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another
village" (Luke 9. 51-59 KJV).
REFUSAL AND REACTION
A simple statement full of meaning, full of judgement and mystery. The wonderful ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ was nearing its conclusion. Time and opportunity were at a premium for the people of the small Samaritan village. To a man they had refused Him hospitality, when He arrived at the gate, Jesus and His faithful follower’s were forbidden to enter the village. Insulted by the villagers churlish behaviour to their matchless Master and Lord, his disciples wanted to bring down fire from heaven and burn the place to the ground.
Jesus Himself however did not complain, but He did severely rebuke His disciples for their display of heated smoking temper. It was the time and place of lost opportunity for that country village.
There was no fuss, no fury, no fire, they left that particular ‘might have been village’ in perfect silence and turned away and went to another village. In that simple act there lay the tragedy of a lost opportunity.
DEITY IN DISGUISE
Large doors of opportunity often open on small hinges. In ordinary common place events at certain times there are incalculable possibilities. Great events turn on small hinges. Our Lord sends His messengers to prepare His way. They are not heralded with brass bands and pomp and splendour. No announcements of unusual importance. Opportunity for Salvation often comes disguised in the common place attire. Messengers and preachers of the Gospel were and are quiet ordinary people and yet they are faithful messengers and preachers of the Lord who sent them. Clothed with the common place, yet they are opening heavens door on the hinges of Gospel truth. It only takes a moment for a man through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ to embrace eternity. Such is the power of saving faith.
If one looks carefully at the commonplace village carpenter it is possible to see the One who created the universe. The tradegy of those villagers in Samaria is that they never suspected they had effectively slammed the door on anyone more important than a wandering Jewish man and His friends.
SILENCE OF THE SAVIOUR
The Lord Jesus does not come in fire and judgements. He comes now as then in that village, seeking and searching, not demanding. ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock’ He is a suppliant at the door of the heart and of the soul of which He died to redeem. He does not enter without consent if He is not welcome he will not come. If He is refused He will go silently away. There will be no fiery curse. No tragic indignation. He will leave you even as you had wished. He came to the people of the village seeking hospitality and fellowship; He comes to people today bringing His gift of salvation and peace; and we may reject Him in thoughtless indifference and contempt. It is an awesome choice one has to make for Jesus is seeking a home in your heart He brings heaven with Him. If you refuse He will not storm and curse as the disciples did but He will turn and leave you and silently walk away.
But if we receive Him as Lord and Saviour we can experience forgiveness from all sin through His death for us at Calvary’s cross, and the fullness of joy in the glorious Gospel of redeeming love of Christ our Saviour.
NEW NAUTICAL NOTES
Perhaps it is the Trafalgar celebrations that have taken place with the Blues and the Reds! But we have taken to the water again. This time on the beautiful Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Britain’s longest inland waterway which finally opened in 1816 after years and years of building by thousands of men and remains largely unaltered to this day.
It was an afternoon picturesque cruise which lasted one hour and fifteen minutes from Skipton “The Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales” Thirty miles from Leeds and one hundred miles from Liverpool. It is steeped in history and natural scenic beauty with nesting Swan’s with their young, the fields with horses and cattle and the sun shining which made the trip a pleasure.
Page created 4 January 2007