Luke 9:51 - Meaning and Application

This story is found only in this Gospel. Luke seems to place it here because it fits with the story just before it, where Christ corrected his disciples for their envy over his name. There, they wanted to silence people who were not part of their group, while still claiming to defend Christ. Here, under the same excuse, they wanted to destroy unbelievers. Christ rebuked both attitudes, because a harsh, narrow, and persecuting spirit is the opposite of Christ and true Christianity.

Notice, first, the readiness and firm purpose of our Lord Jesus as he carried out his great work of redeeming and saving us. Luke 9:51 gives us a clear example: “When the time came for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” There was a fixed time for Jesus’ suffering and death. He knew it well and saw it coming clearly, yet he did not hide from it. Instead, he was most open and active when his time was short.

When he saw his death and suffering approaching, he looked through them and beyond them to the glory that would follow. He viewed it as the time when he would be taken up into glory (1 Timothy 3:16), received into the highest heaven, and seated there in honor. Moses and Elijah spoke of his death as his departure from this world, which made it less frightening. But Jesus went further and saw it as his move to a better world, which made it desirable.

All true Christians may think about death in the same way. They may call it being “taken up,” going to be with Christ where he is. When that time draws near, they should lift up their heads, because their redemption is near.

Looking at that joy set before him, he “set his face” to go to Jerusalem, the place where he would suffer and die. He was fully decided to go and would not be turned aside. He went straight to Jerusalem, because that was where his work now lay, and he did not go around through other towns. If he had taken his usual route, he might have avoided Samaria. He went there willingly and bravely, though he knew what would happen to him.

He did not fail or lose heart, but set his face like stone, knowing that he would not only be justified, meaning shown to be right, but also glorified (Isaiah 50:7). He knew he would not be brought down, but received up. How this should shame us for being slow to do and suffer for Christ. We often pull back and turn away from his service, while he firmly faced every opposition to carry out our salvation.

Second, notice the rude treatment Jesus received from a Samaritan village, unnamed and not worth naming, which refused to receive him or even let him rest there. First, see how courteous he was to them. He sent messengers ahead, some of his disciples, to arrange lodging and ask whether he and his company could stay among them. He did not come to offend them, and he wanted to avoid causing trouble because of the size of his group. He sent people ahead to make preparations, not for show, but for practical care, and so his arrival would not surprise them.

Then see how discourteous they were to him. They would not receive him and would not let him enter their village. They posted guards, as it were, to keep him out. He would have paid for everything he needed and been a generous guest. He would have done them good and preached the gospel to them, as he had once done in another Samaritan city (John 4:41). If they had allowed it, he would have been the greatest blessing their village ever saw. Yet they refused him.

This kind of treatment has often been given to Christ’s gospel and to his ministers. The reason here was that his face was set toward Jerusalem. They could tell by his direction that he was heading there. The great dispute between Jews and Samaritans was about the place of worship, whether Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim near Sychar (John 4:20). The conflict between them was so bitter that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, and the Samaritans had none with the Jews (John 4:9).

We may suppose they did not usually refuse lodging to other Jews, even those traveling up for the feast. If that had been their normal practice, Jesus would not have tried it, and many Galileans would have had a long detour to Jerusalem. But they were especially angry with Christ, a well-known teacher, because he honored and remained loyal to the temple in Jerusalem, even though the priests there were his enemies. They hoped this would push him toward their own temple and give it honor. When they saw that he still intended to go on to Jerusalem, they denied him even the common courtesy they had likely shown on earlier journeys.

Third, notice the anger James and John, the sons of Zebedee, felt over this insult. When they heard the report, they flared up at once and wanted the village judged like Sodom. “Lord,” they said, “do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and burn them up?” There was something good in their response. They showed a strong confidence in the power Jesus had given them. Even though this power had not been named in their commission, they believed they could call down fire with a word. They also showed zeal for their Master’s honor. It deeply offended them that the one who had done good wherever he went and had been warmly welcomed should be refused passage by a small group of Samaritans.

They also showed submission to their Master’s will. They would not do such a thing unless Christ gave permission: “Do you want us to do it?” And they were thinking of Elijah’s example. They remembered how Elijah called down fire on the soldiers sent to arrest him, twice, in 2 Kings 1:10 and 2 Kings 1:12. They thought that example gave them authority, which shows how easily we can misuse the examples of good people. We may try to excuse our own wrong actions by pointing to them, when the cases are not the same.

There was some truth in what James and John said, but much more was wrong. This was not the first time Jesus had been insulted. The people of Nazareth had once driven him out of their town, and the Gadarenes had begged him to leave their area, yet he did not call down judgment on them. He simply endured the wrong patiently.

These were Samaritans, and better behavior was not really expected from them. They may also have heard that Christ had told his disciples not to go into Samaritan towns (Matthew 10:5). If so, their fault was not as serious as the fault of people who knew more about Christ and had received so many blessings from him.

It may also be that only a few people in the town knew anything about it, or only a few sent that rude message. For all James and John knew, many others there would have welcomed Jesus if they had known he was near. Should the whole town be ruined because of the wickedness of a few? Should the righteous be destroyed with the wicked?

Their Master had never once called for fire from heaven. In fact, when the Pharisees demanded a sign from heaven, he refused them (Matthew 16:1-2). Why, then, should James and John expect to bring in that kind of judgment? Jesus had called them Boanerges, which means sons of thunder (Mark 3:17). Was that not enough, without their trying to be sons of lightning too?

Elijah’s example did not fit this case. Elijah was sent to show the terrors of the law and to stand boldly against the idol worship and wickedness of Ahab’s court, so it suited his mission to have his calling confirmed in that way. But now Christ was bringing in an age of grace, and such a terrible display of judgment did not fit that message. Archbishop Tillotson suggests that being near Samaria, the very place where Elijah had called for fire from heaven, may have brought the idea to their minds. But even if the place was the same, the times had changed.

Jesus then rebuked James and John for their hot and furious zeal (Luke 9:55). He turned toward them with righteous displeasure and corrected them, for he rebukes and disciplines those he loves, especially when they act in a way that is out of step with him while claiming to serve him.

He first showed them their mistake: “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of.” That means, first, they did not realize what bad motives were hiding underneath their zeal. There was likely pride, anger, and personal revenge in their hearts, even while they thought they were honoring their Master. There can be much corruption hidden in the hearts of good people, and they may not even see it.

Second, they did not understand what kind of spirit they ought to have. They still had much to learn about the spirit of Christ and of Christianity. Had they not been taught to love their enemies, bless those who curse them, and ask God for grace, not fire, on those who opposed them? Their attitude was the very opposite of the spirit the gospel was meant to give them. They were no longer under a system marked by bondage, terror, and death, but under a system marked by love, freedom, and grace. That new age came with the message of peace on earth and good will toward men, and they should have shaped themselves to that message.

He then showed the general purpose of his religion: “The Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56). He came to spread his holy religion by love, gentleness, and everything that draws people in, not by fire, sword, blood, and slaughter. He worked miracles of healing, not plagues and destruction. Christ came to put an end to hatred, not to feed it.

Those are far from the spirit of the gospel who want to destroy by force and persecution everyone who does not think or act as they do. Christ came not only to save souls, but also to preserve life. His many miracles of healing show this, along with many other acts of kindness. He wants his disciples to do good to all people as far as they can, and to harm no one. He wants to draw people into his church with human kindness and love, not drive them in with violence or harsh speech.

Jesus then withdrew from that village. He did not punish them for their rudeness, and he did not insist on his right to travel the road, which was as open to him as to anyone else. He did not try to force his way through, but quietly went to another village where people were less narrow and unfriendly. There he refreshed himself and continued on his way. When opposition is strong, wisdom often says to move out of its way rather than fight it. If some people are rude, we should not answer with revenge, but see whether others will be more respectful.