“When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them? ” Luke 9:54 HCSB
James and John had been paying attention during Bible school. They understood God could send fire to destroy this Samaritan town because they had rejected Jesus. More than likely they remember Elijah calling fire down from heaven to consume 102 people.
“The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke those words to you? ”
They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”
He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.” So King Ahaziah sent a captain of 50 with his 50 men to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’
” Elijah responded to the captain of the 50, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 men.”
2 Kings 1:7-10 HCSB
But Elijah called fire down not because the king had rejected him but rather God. We don’t know the command that was given to the first two captains but their heart was not in the right place. They may have had the orders to arrest him, but the third captain had a different heart. The first two saw one man against 50 trained warriors but the third saw his life hanging in God’s hands. And God allowed Elijah to go with the captain and his men to speak to the king directly.
“From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and harassed him, chanting, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy! ” He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the children.”
2 Kings 2:23-24 HCSB
Elijah’s disciple Elisha was given the power to be the next prophet in Israel. He now faced a situation where he was not respected as a prophet but was mocked for being bald and he turned to God to rebuke 42 young boys. They were mauled by two female bears.
Jesus could have called fire down Himself. He did not need James and John to do it for Him. But Jesus wanted to teach them a lesson. And this lesson was that Jesus came not to judge the world but to love the world through His journey up the hill Golgotha and back down into the borrowed tomb for that was the whole reason He was heading to Jerusalem.
Jesus was willing to forgive and move on with this Samaritan town. He is willing to forgive you and me and move on. Jesus was not holding on to the fact that they were half Jew and half Gentile against them but He offered forgiveness to them.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 HCSB
I wonder if James and John were sent to this town in Samaria to be a witness to them? It sounds like something God would do. He is willing to help us to learn love those whom we don’t love right now.
What would have been Jesus’ reputation if He had allowed James and John to call fire down from heaven? By the time they did make it to heaven all the Jews would be praising Him and trying to make Him king instead of Jesus becoming king God’s way.
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
John 3:16-17 HCSB
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