Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Revenge

About a week ago, when reading my Bible, I came upon a paragraph that made me laugh out loud. The Bible is many things, serious, majestic, sometimes frightening, full of love, but funny? Not usually. I was reading in the book of Luke. Here is the passage - Luke 9:51-56:

"When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village."

Picture the above scene. I can tell you that I would have been just like James and John - how funny is their request? As if Jesus was the local Mafia guy and, having been disrespected, takes out his revenge on those who "dissed" him. Then, after James and John ask Jesus if he wants them to torch the place, I can just see Jesus rolling his eyes heavenward - or, Three Stooges like, a quick smack, smack on the tops of James and John's heads....."he....rebuked them." I'm sure Jesus did neither, but let them know their attitude was inappropriate. But for some reason, when I read the above passage, I just burst out laughing and pictured the irreverent response of Jesus. Perhaps I watched too many Warner Brothers cartoons when I was a child......

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