“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51)

In this chapter of Luke, Jesus has already told his disciples, twice, that he will undergo great suffering and be put to death in Jerusalem; and yet, he resolutely determines to go to Jerusalem. In the coming chapters, he focuses on preparing his disciples for his death and resurrection – they don’t get it, not yet, but nonetheless, he is preparing them.

We are today’s disciples, and we are just as dense as the original disciples! We often don’t get it, but Jesus keeps reminding us just the same! In verses 57 – 62, Jesus reminds would-be followers that following him must be their number one priority. He tells one potential follower, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (57) Another says he would follow Jesus but he has family obligations (he must bury his father); Jesus says “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (60) Another wishes just to say good-bye to those he is leaving behind, but Jesus says, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus is saying that following God’s will must be our first priority. Our home can certainly be important, especially if we maintain it for family, but it cannot be more important than living into the Kingdom with Jesus! Our family is absolutely important, and fulfilling family obligations is important, but we must not forget that following Jesus must come first! We must live into the Kingdom of God. We must first love God, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and we must love our neighbors as ourselves.

Just after Jesus turns his face toward Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples go through Samaria. There was a Samaritan village that did not welcome him – James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven on that village, but Jesus rebuked them. (Luke 9:52-55)The Samaritans were “the other” in Jesus’ time, the foreigners, those who believed differently from the Jews, and the disciples thought if they didn’t follow Jesus they could be destroyed. Jesus rebuked them – and he rebukes us when we do not act in love for our neighbors, including neighbors who are “the other” to us, foreigners, those who believe differently from us. Jesus reminds us, once again, that we are called to love our neighbors.

Questions for reflection:

1. What is your understanding of “Jesus turned his face toward Jerusalem”?
2. We are preparing our hearts for Jesus’ action in Jerusalem; how do we prioritize living into the Kingdom?
3. How are we like the disciples who want to call down fire from heaven on those who did not believe?