Luke 9:51 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, 52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54 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? 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
This Samaritan village was unreceptive to the Lord. The whole while He was with them, He looked toward Jerusalem where He would be arrested, tried and crucified. Though He had a heart for these dear half-breed people, He had a larger vision for you and me.
You can tell He cared for those in His immediate company by His rebuke of the disciples who queried whether they should call down fire upon them for their cold shouldered treatment of the Lord. "I am come to save lives, not destroy them" He retorted.
Yet, it was a mutual deal. He had bigger fish to fry and they weren't really looking forward to another Jew's dissing of their racial inadequacy. They obviously didn't know of His saving of the woman at Sychar's well.
Here is the lesson we need to learn. One soul is worth more than the entire world (Mk 8:36), but one soul is not worth two souls.
We can only put up with a person's rejection of the gospel message for so long before we must shake the dust from our feet and look for more receptive hearts.
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