A PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE
Opening Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your unfailing, sacrificial love.
Read Luke 9:51–56
Samaritan Opposition
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[a]?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.
Footnotes:
a Luke 9:54 Some manuscripts them, just as Elijah did
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Jesus resolutely sets out for Jerusalem fully aware of what lies ahead.The Road Less Traveled is the title of a bestselling book by M. Scott Peck, a title taken from a poem of the same name by Robert Frost. Both works explore in different ways the challenge of following life paths and making decisions that may not be understood by many around us. Luke introduces us to a major moment in Jesus’ life at the beginning of this reading. And he does so by way of two unique journeys. The ultimate destination is his exaltation in heaven but only after the crucial events that must take place in Jerusalem. And he embarks on this journey resolutely.
We might use words like focused, driven, determined, and committed in trying to unpack Jesus’ attitude. And this is puzzling. The Gospels show Jesus telling stories, enjoying the company of unlikely friends, and giving time to strangers on virtually every page. Yet undergirding everything was his willing embrace of the destiny ahead, flavored by an astonishing ability to accept others, even those who would not receive him (55).
Apply
Each day is a mixture of the plans we have made and reacting to situations that arise. But what are the essential things in our lives? How do we sense God’s leading at present? Where are we heading today?
Closing prayer
Lord, show me the path I must tread as I follow You. Let me be faithful to You and open to all whom I meet.
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