SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT FOR TODAY

 

Passage: Luke 9:52-53

“And sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem”

Memory Verse: Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

“HERE I AM, AI STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK, IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN AND EAT WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME.”

Jesus knew what He came into the world for, and was not prepared to allow any person, group of persons or circumstances to divert his mission. He knew he had to go to Jerusalem to die and determined to go when the time approached. His whole mission could be summarized to mean his desire to save the entire universe from sin, Satan and eternal death. This desire was driven by his love and passion for mankind and he pursued it diligently. He was very resolute in dying for mankind as we found in our previous lesson. In this edition we want to focus on his visit to an unnamed Samaritan village and learn some key lessons from it.

When the time came for Him to go to Jerusalem, He decided to go through a Samaritan village. The reason for which the Master chose to pass through that village is unknown. However, we can understand that there was not only one route from Galilee to Jerusalem, so Jesus could have chosen any of the other routes. He however, chose to go through that village out of His love for the people.

Jesus wanted to pass there, probably because He wanted the people to be blessed through their encounter with Him. He deliberately chose to visit the people and make himself known to them for their own benefit. The people needed Him even without knowing.

This is exactly what God did for mankind, when we rebelled against Him. Even before man realized the need to be reconciled to God, God had already planned out our salvation (Genesis 3:15). He did this out of his love and mercy for mankind. He chose to save you and me out of the many sinners in the world. How well do you appreciate this love and mercy of God towards you? Those who acknowledge God’s special love and deliberate decision to save them out of the billions of sinners in this world, will always express their deepest gratitude to Him, in words and in deeds.

It is important to note that the Master did not just start His journey to Jerusalem through a Samaritan village; He sent messengers ahead of Him to prepare the way for Him. As the King of Kings, Jesus sent messengers to alert the people of his coming in order for them to prepare their hearts and minds to receive Him. They probably told the people about the Jesus and the various benefits they stood to gain should they welcome Him into their village.

Of course King Jesus comes with lots of blessings in His hands to all those who receive him. His blessings include salvation for dying souls, forgiveness of sins, healing of sicknesses and the exorcising of evil spirits from those under the control of the powers of darkness. The messengers Jesus sent proclaimed the gospel as part of the means of preparing the way just as John the Baptist did. This shows clearly how Jesus desires to be the guest of all mankind, especially sinners. He desires to dwell among us and save us.

Out of His love, He sends messengers to people everywhere in this world to prepare our hearts and minds for his visit. He sends some as missionaries, pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers and writers and they reach us through the various media outlets available. How well do we receive his messengers? How prepared are we to welcome the Master into our homes, families, schools, offices, factories, shops etc? Let us always remember, that if we ignore the messengers God sends to us, He might also reject us when we need him most!

Instead of welcoming Jesus into their homes, the Samaritans in the village opted to reject the Master’s visit due to the enmity between them and the Jews. They were unwilling to allow Jesus and his entourage a passage through their village to Jerusalem. They refused the King of Kings entry into their village and consequently missed the blessings which the Master comes with.

Like the unnamed Samaritan village, many people in this world have refused to permit Jesus into their lives and their homes. They have kept Jesus out for trivial reasons. Many have given several excuses for not letting Jesus into their lives.

I wish to state that anyone who refuses to allow Jesus into his or her life is already under the bondage of Satan. Such people should however remember that Satan has nothing good for them. He only comes to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus comes to give abundant life.

Unlike Satan, Jesus does not force his way into our lives. He stands at the doors of our hearts and knocks. He enters into the life of anyone who opens for Him to come in and abides with such people.

Today He is asking for your permission to enter into your life if you have not already let Him in. Choosing Jesus is tantamount to choosing eternal life and rejecting him is tantamount to choosing eternal damnation. As Joshua said, you have a choice between life and death (Joshua 24:15). Some of us have chosen to allow Jesus to reign over our lives forever; will you do the same today? God bless you for taking the decision to allow Jesus into your life. May He abide with you forever and shower His bountiful blessings upon you here and the hereafter!

THE WORD OF THE LORD!

 

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Pastor Nana Kobina Baisie
Teacher/Pastor at Nadrim Mission International School, Busan, Korea.