Call down fire from heaven?

[Sentinel]

In today’s (7/1/2007) Gospel reading James and John said to Jesus after being rejected in a Samaritan village, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

It would seem that at this point they knew they possessed certian abilities and the way it was said it seems as if it had been done previously. I know this is not the point of the passage but it seems curious that they would be quick to use this power. Can anyone shed light on this?

Below is the full reading…

**Gospel
**Lk 9:51-62
When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

 

[Sentinel]

I hope I did this right as I cannot see it in the new post area…

 

[Grace_and_Glory]

I don’t know about why James and John would have specifically asked if Jesus wanted them to rain down fire from heaven, but at this point in Luke’s Gospel, they’re probably feeling pretty confident.

At the beginning of chapter 9, Jesus sent out the twelve, who were able to cure diseases and drive out demons.

Then Jesus fed the five thousand (9:1-17).

After this, James and John were both present for the Transfiguration (9:28-36).

So James and John at this point were probably feeling justifiably confident in Christ’s power and in their own ability to do great things in His name.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

In today’s (7/1/2007) Gospel reading James and John said to Jesus after being rejected in a Samaritan village, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

It would seem that at this point they knew they possessed certian abilities and the way it was said it seems as if it had been done previously. I know this is not the point of the passage but it seems curious that they would be quick to use this power. Can anyone shed light on this?

Below is the full reading…

Gospel
Lk 9:51-62
When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.
As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

This part of it -​

• When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled,
  he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
  and he sent messengers ahead of him.
  On the way they entered a Samaritan village
  to prepare for his reception there,
  but they would not welcome him
  because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
  When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
  “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
  to consume them?”
  Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

• is very reminiscent of 2 Kings 1 & 2

• Elijah calls down fire from heaven on two troops of soldiers sent to arrest him
• then** is taken up** to heaven
  So there is almost certainly an anticipation of Jesus’s own arrest, by means of referring back to Elijah.
  Elijah’s spirit is not that of Jesus - so it is not to be that of His disciples.

The words “He set his face to go to Jerusalem” (so RSV) bring out His determination, so they should be given their due emphasis (which, in its way, the NAB translation does give to it) - the Crucifixion is something that did not happen by accident; it is something for which Jesus had long been preparing Himself, as far back as this episode. Jesus is “taken up” at His Ascension - & also perhaps at His Crucifixion, as a preliminary to that.

 

[TarlsQtr]

In addition to Gottle of Geer’s explanation, the notes of my Ignatius Study Bible explains that Jesus’s recent actions (healings, transfiguration, etc) had filled James and John with great zeal, but they were lacking in mercy. This is possibly why they were called in other places the “sons of thunder.”

 

[anthony022071]

Jesus nicknamed James and John “sons of thunder”.
They were zealots.

 

[Verbum]

In other words, they were hot heads and Jesus told them to cool it.

Verbum