Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Our Gospel passage for this week can be summed up in a very simple statement. “Jesus lays down his reputation, his comfort, and his relationships for his people.” Yes, the passage seems to show Jesus telling his disciples how to act. But he is showing them how to act like he does. In verses 51-56, though the people in Samaria would not receive him, Jesus didn’t worry about his reputation. He was going about his journey to Jerusalem to lay down his life. It didn’t matter what people said about him. In verses 57-58 a new follower was seeking comfort that Jesus did not receive himself. The creator and sustainer of all, who owns heaven and earth, made himself of no account, not even with a place to stay. Jesus does not consider his comfort as important as the life of the world. In verses 59-62, Jesus calls two followers to leave their families and homes behind. The perfect and constant fellowship Christ had with the Father and the Holy Spirit was not of such a concern to him as having fellowship with his followers.
As we see that Jesus humbled himself in these ways on our behalf, we are motivated to follow him and emulate him. Jesus never takes us anywhere He doesn’t go first. He does it all for our sake, to bring us to God.
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