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Gospel: 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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Think about how people often deal with stress.
After a family argument, a long day of work, or a sudden disappointment, we can retire into ourselves, blocking out the world around us by watching endless hours of tv, scrolling through our phone, drinking, overeating, even lashing out at others who did nothing wrong!
Stress can be hard to manage – and it’s often the byproduct of living in such a hyper, results-oriented society.
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In today’s Gospel both Jesus and his disciples are stressed. But they deal with their stress in very different ways.
Luke tells us that Jesus is headed to Jerusalem – the place where he’ll be betrayed by Judas, arrested, and killed. So, he sends his disciples ahead of him to prepare the way.
To the disciples’ chagrin, they are not welcomed in the first town they enter, which not only means people rejected them; it also may mean a lost meal and the absence of a comfortable place to sleep that evening.
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” James and John ask. That’s how they want to deal with their stress – turn those who rejected them into a crisp!
Jesus, on the other hand “rebukes” his disciples for their sinful anger and decides to journey to another village in peace. He will not return anger for anger or rejection for rejection.
When the evening comes to a close, something tells me Jesus deals with his stress – not only the hassle of being rejected that day, but also the knowledge of his impending death – by doing something we all should do.
He prayed to his Father.
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Prayer may not be our knee-jerk reaction to stress. But it allows God to calm our mind and heart in a way that television, social media, and overindulgence cannot.
“Come to me, all you who are heavy burdened,” Jesus says, “and I will give you rest.” So, when evening comes, how will we process the day?
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Image credits: (1) NeuronUP (2) A Clay Jar (3) America Magazine