Last Journey From Galilee
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they would show Him no hospitality. Little did they realize that they
were turning from their doors the best gift of heaven. Jesus invited
men to receive Him, He asked favors at their hands, that He might
come near to them, to bestow the richest blessings. For every favor
manifested toward Him, He requited a more precious grace. But all
was lost to the Samaritans because of their prejudice and bigotry.
James and John, Christ’s messengers, were greatly annoyed at
the insult shown to their Lord. They were filled with indignation
because He had been so rudely treated by the Samaritans whom He
was honoring by His presence. They had recently been with Him on
the mount of transfiguration, and had seen Him glorified by God, and
honored by Moses and Elijah. This manifest dishonor on the part
of the Samaritans, should not, they thought, be passed over without
marked punishment.
Coming to Christ, they reported to Him the words of the peo-
ple, telling Him that they had even refused to give Him a night’s
lodging. They thought that a grievous wrong had been done Him,
and seeing Mount Carmel in the distance, where Elijah had slain the
false prophets, they said, “Wilt Thou that we command fire to come
down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” They were
surprised to see that Jesus was pained by their words, and still more
surprised as His rebuke fell upon their ears, “Ye know not what manner
of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s
lives, but to save them.” And He went to another village.
It is no part of Christ’s mission to compel men to receive Him.
It is Satan, and men actuated by his spirit, that seek to compel the
conscience. Under a pretense of zeal for righteousness, men who are
confederate with evil angels bring suffering upon their fellow men,
in order to convert them to their ideas of religion; but Christ is ever
showing mercy, ever seeking to win by the revealing of His love. He
can admit no rival in the soul, nor accept of partial service; but He
desires only voluntary service, the willing surrender of the heart under
the constraint of love. There can be no more conclusive evidence that
we possess the spirit of Satan than the disposition to hurt and destroy
those who do not appreciate our work, or who act contrary to our ideas.
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Every human being, in body, soul, and spirit, is the property of
God. Christ died to redeem all. Nothing can be more offensive to God