The story in today’s Gospel always strikes me as a dramatic moment in the life of Christ, when Jesus was not welcomed into the Samaritan village. Two of my favorite followers of Jesus, the “Sons of Thunder”, James and John, want revenge for the way Jesus is being treated. When I read the passage, my heart often agrees with them, “yeah, let’s call down that fire since they didn’t welcome Jesus”. And yet, there is more to reflect on in this reading. We can see that Jesus came for the lost, the forgotten, the people who do not know the love of the Lord. He doesn’t want to smite us, but to save us!
Over the last few years, I have come to appreciate that the Lord is about planting seeds of faith. He desires that we be open to Him and slowly learn to trust Him in all matters. This trust is built over time, and the more that we hand over our free will, the more our will is in line with God. Our free will is what blocks us from seeing, hearing, and knowing the truth of our Lord. How often has our “good-hearted desire” made matters worse? How often have we “given them a piece of our mind” and left feeling worse about what we said and how we said it?
Our Lord shows us that He desires redemption and transformation versus fire and fury. Jesus knows that after His Resurrection, the people will recall this day and the missed opportunity and hopefully come to faith. He plants seeds and is a patient tiller of the field. He offers us grace from the moment of our Baptism. He desires that these seeds be watered and cultivated, but we must rely on the Lord’s timing, not ours.
Dear Lord, increase my faith and allow me to be a vessel of love, not wrath, so that others may be transformed in You.
La historia del Evangelio de hoy siempre me ha parecido un momento dramático en la vida de Cristo: cuando Jesús no fue recibido en la aldea samaritana. Dos de mis seguidores favoritos de Jesús, los “Hijos del Trueno”, Santiago y Juan, quieren venganza por el trato que reciben. Al leer el pasaje, mi corazón suele estar de acuerdo con ellos: “Sí, hagamos descender ese fuego, ya que no recibieron a Jesús”. Sin embargo, hay más en qué reflexionar en esta lectura. Vemos que Jesús vino por los perdidos, los olvidados, quienes no conocen el amor del Señor. ¡No quiere destruirnos, sino salvarnos!
En los últimos años, he llegado a comprender que el Señor se dedica a sembrar semillas de fe. Desea que nos abramos a Él y que poco a poco aprendamos a confiar en Él en todo. Esta confianza se va aumentando con el tiempo, y mientras más le entregamos el libre albedrío, más alineamos nuestra voluntad con la de Dios. El libre albedrío es lo que nos impide ver, oír y conocer la verdad de nuestro Señor. ¿Cuántas veces nuestro “buen deseo” ha empeorado las cosas? ¿Cuántas veces hemos forzado nuestras opiniones y nos ha hecho sentir peor por lo que dijimos y cómo lo dijimos?
Nuestro Señor nos muestra que desea redención y transformación, no fuego y furia. Jesús sabe que después de su Resurrección, la gente se acordará de este día y la oportunidad perdida, y ojalá llegará a la fe. Él siembra semillas y es un labrador paciente. Nos ofrece la gracia desde el momento de nuestro Bautismo. Desea que estas semillas sean regadas y cultivadas, pero debemos confiar en el tiempo del Señor, no en el nuestro.
Señor Jesús, aumenta mi fe y permíteme ser un instrumento de amor, no de ira, para que otros puedan ser transformados por Ti.
Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is the co-founder of www.inspirethefaith.com and the Executive Director of The Sacred Heart Enthronement Network www.WelcomeHisHeart.com. She has co-authored several Catholic books and her latest one, Secrets of the Sacred Heart: Claiming Jesus’ Twelve Promises in Your Life, came out in Oct. 2020. Emily serves on the board of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, contributes to Relevant Radio and Catholic Mom.com.
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