A young boy was walking with his friend when out of nowhere a giant Rottweiler dog jumped out from behind a fence and began to pounce on one of the young boys. His friend bravely grabbed a 2x4 and smacked the dog on the head and then managed to wrap the broken chain from the dog’s leash around the dog’s neck and chocked the dog to death, saving his young friend’s life. While all this was taking place, a newspaper reporter had witnessed the whole thing and ran over to the young men and said, “That was amazing, I want to write tomorrow’s front-page headline about this…and the boy’s watched as the man scribbled… Young Bulldog fan saves friend from vicious dog. The boy stopped him and said, “Sir, I’m sorry but I’m not a bulldog fan.” The reporter looked at him strangely then he said, ‘Oh that’s fine, let me rewrite this…Young Ole Miss fan saves friend from vicious dog. Again the young boy interrupted. “Sir, I’m sorry but that’s not true…I’m not a Rebel fan either.”
The reporter looked at him oddly and said, “Well son, I’m sorry. This is Mississippi and I thought every young boy was either a State fan or a Ole Miss fan. What are you, a Southern Miss fan?” The young boy said, “No sir, actually I’m an Alabama fan…Roll Tide.” The reporter said, “Oh, you’re one of them.” He then rewrote the headline for the next day which read… “Spoiled little brat murders precious family pet.”
You know, its amazing how much hatred one can have of another person simply because of the differences that person may have. It’s a far gone conclusion that not everybody agrees on certain issues, on which teams to root for, which positions to support, but what is increasingly disturbing is the level of hatred that people have for those who disagree with them. In a Newsmax.com article from March of this year, the author stated that the 2004 Presidential election may be the nastiest in history. The author stated that what separates this election is the level of hatred that both sides have for each other…and he wasn’t speaking about the candidates but rather those who support their candidates. There is now an us against them mentality. If you are with us, we like you…if you’re against us, then we not only hate you, we despise you. From Politics to sports, from race to economics, from Yankees and Southerners, there is an increasingly number of people who are not just filled, but rather consumed by hatred for other people.
And the result has been that with so much hatred, we find that anger is only just a few doors down. Just as self-control is a byproduct of love, anger is a byproduct of hatred. People who are so filled with hate become so angry at the object of that hatred, that in the end violence, chaos, and destruction rule the day.
Now as bad as the hatred that we see today in our political parties, or the hatred that existed between blacks and whites in the 60’s and 70’s, they pale in comparison to that hatred that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans. Today as we look at our text, I want us to see the result of the Samaritans hatred and how Jesus responded to the disciples anger and then how Christ can transform our lives from one of hatred and anger to one of love and self-control. Turn with me to your text once again in Luke 9: 51-56.
Luke 9:51, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem .” Now don’t miss that first verse there. Jesus was determined to head to Jerusalem. He knew what laid ahead. He knew that waiting for Him in Jerusalem was a cross and yet He resolutely set out to Jerusalem. No matter who was tempting Him, no matter who believed or didn’t believe, Jesus was going to the cross.
Now on the way there, Jesus was going to go through Samaria. Whenever a popular rabbi was coming to town, he would send some of his followers into town to get things ready, you know make reservations, speaking engagements, dinner plans and the such, and which Jesus did…but when the people heard He was going to go to Jerusalem, they would not welcome Him. Now why is that?
Well, there was a history that existed between the Samaritians and the Jews. The Samaritans were a mixed race, part Jew and part Gentile, that grew out of the Assyrian captivity. They had disobeyed God and had intermarried with the Gentiles, so thus they were despised as being worse then a gentile. So intense was the Jewish dislike of the Samaritans that some of the Pharisees actually prayed that no Samaritan would be raised in the resurrection! In John 8:48, When His enemies wanted to call Jesus an insulting name, they called Him a Samaritan.
That’s why the story of the Good Samaritan was so shocking, because the Samaritans were the hated people. Since the Samaritans were not welcomed at the temple in Jerusalem, they established there own temple and rituals. Needless to say, they were not friends. The Jews felt superior and looked down upon the Samaritans so in return the Samaritans reciprocated those feelings of racism of the Jews so that the hatred was mutual. So when Jesus, a Jew, was heading toward Jerusalem to worship, the Samaritans would not welcome Him.
Now it’s a sad truth, but here these Samaritans missed out on a chance to have the Lord of Lords be their guest because they were so blinded by their hate for the Jews. They couldn’t see that the Messiah was about to walk through their midst solely because of where He was going. They didn’t really know much about Jesus, just that He was a Jew going to Jerusalem. That was all they needed. There was a Country song a while back be Leann Womack entitled, “I really hate her…I’ll think of a reason later.” And you kind of get that feeling here. They hated Jesus, even though earlier many Samaritans had believed through the testimony of the woman at the well, but this time Jesus wouldn’t even have a chance to speak. He was a Jew, heading toward Jerusalem, so even if He walked on water…they still hated Him simply because of that.
Now I need to say that many of us have been guilty of the same thing. We judge a person before we even meet that person. The other day I had to catch myself, I walked by the car of a man who had a political bumper sticker that I didn’t agree with, and I started saying to myself…This guy doesn’t know anything…If he had any brains he would not vote for that person…either he’s dumb or ignorant, or both…I think I’ll go in there and beat some sense into him, or better yet just leave a little key stroke down the side of his car. Now I said I caught myself thinking that, I didn’t do it and if some key strokes happen to be on the cars in the parking lot I promise you I had nothing to do with it…but I had to catch myself and I had to quickly do away with those thoughts, but for all I know that car could have belonged to the kindest most gentle and Intelligent person out there.
That’s what happens when we allow our hate to blind us. Whether its out hate for another political party, another school, or a person who has a different color of skin, we become blinded by our hate. The Samaritans were blinded to Jesus being the Messiah so much so that when He offered to come, they would not welcome Him.
So how would the disciples respond to this hatred? I think many of uys would respond just like James and John. Look at vs. 54. “When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them.”
Don’t you just love that. If you ever wonder why James and John were called the sons of thunder we get a pretty good indication of that right here. They didn’t want you Lord, let’s kill ‘em. And this was not just a figure of speech here. James and John had just been on the Mount when Jesus was transfigured before their very eyes, and there stood with Jesus Moses and Elijah, so since they had just seen the Prophet Elijah on the mount, they thought they might imitate him and call down fire from heaven just as he had! They wanted to respond to the hatred with anger. And anger can be a deadly thing.
Anger is a touchy topic for me because this is something I’ve had to really work on. And I know for a fact that I’m not the only one. We live in a world that is filled with hot tempered people. Perhaps you know someone like this, or maybe that someone is you where it takes just the slightest thing to get you upset. A look from another person, someone cuts you off while you’re driving, an insult, a disrespectful attitude, a Kentucky Wildcat loss, these small things get you upset, and you lose it.
I grew up in a house of hot tempered people; all the men in our family have quick tempers, but none like my brother Larry. Larry could be your best friend one second and your worst enemy the next. I recall once when Larry was getting ready for a big date, and he couldn’t get his hair just right, I walked up the stairs minding my own business and I said something like, “What’s going on?” and all of a sudden a hair brush was thrown in my direction followed by a left hook and a right jab. Now thank goodness my brother hit like a little girl (if only he were here to hear me now.) but still he lost it, and in his anger he did a foolish thing. And that is a thing about allowing your anger to get the better of you, you do things that you shouldn’t do. Ephesians 4:16 says, “In your anger do not sin.” Because we are so vulnerable to sin when we are angry.
There was a story a few years ago about a Kansas football player who got upset when he went through the drive thru of the local taco bell and then realized that the taco bell employee had left out his chalupa. Now many of us may respond with a complaint, but this young man so his enraged, that he took his 6’3 270lbs frame and tried to climb through the 14- by 46-inch drive-through window and got stuck. The frightened manager and employees locked themselves in an office and called the police. The police pulled up to the drive-through and laughed hysterically as they discovered the legs and back end of the football player kicking in midair. Proverbs 14:17 says, “A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.”
Now hopefully you’ve never done something as foolish as that, but you have done a foolish thing before when you were angry. You said a hateful, hurtful word that you didn’t mean to say and you wish you could take back. You made a threat, you committed an act of violence, and the list could go on and on, but the one thing you didn’t do is you didn’t do what Jesus would have had you to do.
And that is one thing we need to realize, is that lashing out in anger is not how Jesus would respond. Listen to how Jesus responded, look at Luke 9:55-56, “But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.” Now if you will look in your footnotes there should be a little addition that is included in some later manuscripts but not the earliest ones, and it extends Jesus’ response. He says, “And he said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them."
Even those who rejected Jesus, He reminded James and John that He came to save those people. You know, it’s funny how we Christians tend to respond to those who choose not to respond to our message. I remember talking to some Christians when Micheal Newoa brought the whole thing about the pledge of Allegiance and the phrase “One Nation under God.” And I remember the hate toward this guy, I know I was feeling it as well, and some people were saying some awful things about him and what God was going to do to him…but you know I don’t remember the first person…and I’m preaching to myself here to mind you…I don’t remember the first person praying for him and his salvation. I didn’t. I was to wound up in my hatred and anger that I had lost sight of the mission God had called me to.
In 1996, a preacher from Ohio decided to do a series of sermons on what Jesus would say to different people, and one of his sermons was What would Jesus say to Howard Stern. He placed the sermon title on the churches sign out front, and one of Howard Stern’s listeners saw it and called the Howard Stern show. Howard Stern thought it would be funny to call this preacher and have him tell him what Jesus would say to him. Now, I can think of a lot of things I would want to say to Howard Stern…Shut up! Being one of them, and Howard Stern has been the center of attack by many Christians, so no doubt he thought that the preacher was going to start lashing out at him. But when Howard Stern asked what it was that Jesus would say to him, the preacher said, “Jesus would say, Howard…I love you. I love you so much that I gave my life for you and if you trust in me all can be forgiven and we can start brand new today.” For the first time in history, for a few seconds Howard Stern was silent. He then quickly came back with a joke about it…but I think that preacher had it right. I think that is what Jesus would say, and I think that is what He is saying to you this morning.
Now in the few moments we have left, I want to give you some practical applications that you can apply to your daily walk. The first is this, remember that Jesus came to save not to destroy. That means that each person is the object of God’s love and our job is to share that love with them. And God loves them so much that He allows them a choice, and we must do the same. I wish we could force people to become Christians, kind of grab them by the collar or something, but we can’t. There will be people in this world who will not accept the message of the Gospel and we must continue to share God’s love with those people. Who knows, they may just change their mind.
The second thing is this, don’t let hate stand between you and Jesus. Some of you might have such a seething hatred for someone that it is actually keeping you from getting closer to Christ. You know the commands to love, how the bible says that to love Christ is to keep His commandments, but Your heart is raging so much with anger, that the command to love even your enemy is lost in the hatred. And it so much easier to hate those who hate you instead of loving those who hate you.
And when you hate someone and wish them harm, it is not just that person you are hurting. You are hurting those around you, you are hurting your testimony, and you are hurting yourself, and even more. The story is told of a young lady named Sally took a seminary class taught by Professor Smith. One day Sally walked into class to find a large target placed on the wall, with several darts resting on a nearby table. Professor Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked or someone who had made them angry—and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture.
One girl drew a picture of another woman who had stolen her boyfriend. Another drew a picture of his younger brother. One by one they filled their page with an image they hated. The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw with such force that they ripped apart their targets. When the professor asked them to be seated, he then began removing the target from the wall. To everyone’s amazement, underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled image of their Savior—holes and jagged marks covered his face. His eyes were virtually pierced out.
Professor Smith did not give a speech, but only quoted from Matthew 25:40. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" Don’t let you anger to lash out and do something you might regret.
Now I know that some of you today are filled with anger. You’re angry at your lot in life, your angry at the attacks on your politician, your angry at the length of this sermon…you are filled with anger and you have a temper. I know how you fill. I struggle with this too. You might say, well Barry, I’ve never seen you filled with anger, never see you lose your temper. Well there’s a reason for that. You see, many years ago I made a decision, that Jesus Christ was not only going to save me, but I was going to let Him transform me. I decided that I would allow Christ to rule my attitudes, my personality, and my emotions. And it has made a difference. I won’t tell you that I don’t still struggle with it, but it’s amazing what Christ can do in us if we just let Him. Just as Christ transformed my life, I want Him to transform yours.
