Why wouldn’t Jesus be welcomed in a village in Samaria? Bias comes to mind. Jesus was Jewish. The Samaritans were part Jewish and part whatever other country their family came from.
Jewish men and women usually went around Samaria to travel between Galilee and Judea. Jesus chose to go through Samaria… He was going to Jerusalem.
He was traveling south and these people in the Samaritan village knew He was headed toward Jerusalem. For this reason, ‘You are not welcome here…’
Luke 9:51-53
How many times have you and I said to Jesus, ‘You are not welcome in my life right now’?
What did Jesus do when He found out that the townspeople said, “Don’t even think about coming here.” He went to another village! Luke 9:54-56
When we put our hands up to stop Jesus, He will not push into areas we don’t invite Him.
How sad… for us! How sad for that village that refused His overnight stay.
“Seek the LORD while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the LORD,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.”
(NASB) Isaiah 55:6-7
What does the Lord say to us? Way back in the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, even then, the Lord was inviting people to come to Him. That invitation has not changed.
~ Take it to heart ~
Do you welcome Jesus into all areas of your life?