Salvation, Not Judgement

Rick HoristLuke 9:51–56

Luke 9:51–56 presents Christ setting his face toward Jerusalem with the cross and his ascension before him, while James and John, shaped by the contentious spirit of their day, demand fire from heaven on a Samaritan village that had refused to receive him. The sermon expounds why Christ rebuked them: his ministry is one of salvation and life, not judgment and destruction, and the spirit that calls for condemnation of the ungodly misunderstands the nature of his mission. Believers are therefore called to imitate Christ's patience and mercy toward those who reject the gospel — going to another village rather than returning contempt for contempt.