To hear this Morning Devotion, please click here — Suicide by hatred
I pray that your Good Friday will include some time to reflect deeply on what Jesus Christ did for you nearly 2,000 years ago. He gave up His life on the cross because of His love for you. He did the same for me.
It is the most meaningful choice to die that has ever been made.
Thank you, God.
I would have no eternal hope apart from what Jesus did.
I found it a bit ironic that on this day I would read a One-Year Bible account of people who chose to die eternally when they were SO close to deliverance.
The same Jesus that died for you as an atonement for your sins wanted to do the same for the people mentioned in today’s reading.
Yet these Samaritans rejected Jesus because simply because He also wanted the people’s Jewish enemies to find salvation.
Because of their hatred, the Samaritans in a certain village chose to reject the Jesus who was headed to Jerusalem.
It’s a terribly sad case of suicide by hatred.
“As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And He sent messengers on ahead who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for Him; but the people there did not welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51-53).
Jesus wanted to preach His gospel to the unsaved in this village that was probably similar to the Samaritan village of the woman at the well (John 4). There the people received His message with gladness.
Here, however, because Jesus wanted Jews to gain salvation, these Samaritans had no use for Him.
To embrace the gospel would require the belief that all types of people would be in heaven. And these particular Samaritans were apparently unwilling to accept the idea of spending eternity in heaven with the Jews they had hated on earth.
It’s really an incredible little story when you think about.
It is incredibly sad.
If you have no cultural clashes skewing how you see Jesus — or how you surrender to His leading — then that is very good.
Please be aware, though, that some people don’t like thinking about the idea of spending forever with people they can’t stand on earth.
This happens frequently in family split or church split situations.
People are pushed toward taking sides.
And for those who don’t, “There is the door.”
Sometimes, there is more.
“If you preach or teach over there, don’t bother coming over here. You won’t be welcomed,” has been said countless times, I’m sure.
Dear friends, please keep loving and praying for both parties in such circumstances.
Choose to follow God’s leading. Don’t choose sides.
Love both.
Serve both.
For both are sinners in need of a Savior.
If your words are received, praise God.
If you words aren’t received, you’ve still praised God.
For those who listened to you, life will be better. And that is a very good thing.
As always, I love you
Martin
