Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9, 51-56
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.
Be determined
1. Determination. This involves accepting what you truly have and not living on assumptions and fiction. Life is marked by successes and mistakes, falls and rises. Don’t live doubting the decisions you’ve made. Learn to accept what you’ve decided; every decision implies crisis and maturity. Of course, it’s hard because most decisions require giving up something. To be determined in life is to be like Jesus, to accept the cross to seek redemption, not because you like being a masochist.
2. Messengers. Jesus sends messengers in advance. We are all called to be messengers, yet the reality is that doors will not always be open for Jesus. Whoever follows Jesus also accepts that doors will be slammed shut. In cases like this, we have to be respectful and trust God, and we must let him do the work in his own way and at his own time. We should not stop being friends or family with those who do not want to hear about Jesus. Trust God, and He will take care of it. As messengers, we must do what we can do, and let God do everything we can’t.
3. They did not receive Him. They did not receive Jesus because of a long-established division. They refused to open the doors to Jesus because He was going to Jerusalem. Let’s be careful not to reject Jesus today because He is being brought to us by this or that person, group, or church movement. We cannot condemn our brothers or sisters because of the prejudice of others or historical prejudice. Today, let Jesus enter your life, so that He can, in turn, enter the lives of others.
Always remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
