You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them

 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."   And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

- Luke 9:51-62

On Saturday, we read that on the next day after they had come down from the mountain of Transfiguration, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  In our previous reading, Jesus was asked by the disciples about those who are not of their group, but whom the disciples saw casting out demons in His name.  Jesus also taught the disciples about the importance of receiving even a little child in His name.  All the reading stressed the essential nature of faith in connection with Christ.  Here, they encounter a village that is set against Him, because He is on His way to Jerusalem (to His Passion, death, and Resurrection).  The disciples ask what they should do in response to this refusal to welcome Christ.  It is yet another opportunity for correction:  the manner of spirit they are of is in the mission of Christ:  He has come not to destroy people's lives but rather to save them (see also 6:9).  In the understanding of the work of the Spirit in the world, it is people's own rejection of salvation that is destructive to them.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."   And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  My study bible notes that there is a cost to discipleship.  Here are three of those costs as revealed by Jesus.  First, the disciple lets go of personal or earthly security.  If the Lord has nowhere to lay His head, then neither will the disciple.  Second, there is nothing -- even the honor due to parents -- that can stand as an obstacle to serving the Lord as one is called.  Third, a disciple cannot delay in accomplishing the good that Christ demands.  We don't look back to our old way of life. This is the way to dwell in the kingdom of God.

Similarly to the reading from Saturday, today's reading teaches us about the working out of our faith in the world, our actions we take in accordance with faith.  Jesus is on a mission; He has warned the disciples what they will face in Jerusalem.  But here in today's reading we are told it is time for Him to be received up, and that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.  We may think of this ultimate destination of Jerusalem as something signaling the end of His ministry, and yet we are only in chapter 9 of 23 in Luke's Gospel.  It is on this journey of faith with Christ that the disciples will continue to learn what manner of spirit they are of, and how they must conduct themselves as future apostles and leaders of His Church in the world after He is no longer with them as the human Jesus.  So their encounter with the Samaritan village is significant in terms of their learning what they are to be about, and how they must conduct themselves as His representatives.  Their faith does not ask of them to destroy, but to save.  The decision to accept or reject this salvation lies within the hearts of human beings, and it will carry its own weight when Christ judges.  It's an important lesson to learn, that all judgment is in the hands of Christ.  We all need to learn what manner of spirit we are of, in order to conduct ourselves properly in His service.   And then follow in today's reading the teachings of discipleship.  Personal security is not always going to be primary in following Him.  Our need is to respond to His call, before all else, and everything in our lives falls into place behind this immediate loyalty, no matter its importance.  And when we get that call, we respond.  Christ intervenes in time at our particular moments for a reason, and our hearts are open in response to Him.  All of these things are part of the requirements of discipleship.  We note by the juxtaposition with those Samaritans who would not receive them, that the responsibility lies with us to be good and faithful servants, and not necessarily to spend our time in coercion or other forms of forcing others to faith.  We remember His call, we embrace our mission, and judgment is left to Him whom we would desire to serve well.  Just as He is focused on His mission, with the steadfast setting His face toward Jerusalem, so we keep our focus on Him and the mission He has for us.