When the time was coming near for Jesus to depart, he was determined to go to Jerusalem. He sent some messengers ahead of him, who went into a town in Samaria to make everything ready for him. But the people there would not welcome him, because he was set on going to Jerusalem. When James and John, followers of Jesus, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy those people?” But Jesus turned and scolded them. [And Jesus said, “You don’t know what kind of spirit you belong to. The Son of Man did not come to destroy the souls of people but to save them.”] Then they went to another town. (Luke 9:51-56)

What is your reaction when you find people refusing to respond to the love of Christ or when someone rejects you or your faith? When the Samaritans didn’t welcome Jesus, James and John wanted to retaliate. Jesus had instructed them in an earlier verse, “If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off of your feet as you leave the town, as a warning to them.” (Luke 9:5) However, that didn’t seem enough for James and John. They wanted to respond swiftly and harshly. Jesus chose to respond to the rejection with love and patience.

Even when we want to respond swiftly and harshly, we need to remember judgment is God’s business, not ours. He doesn’t use his power to help us carry out our personal vendettas. We need to follow Jesus’ lead and respond in patience and compassion. God deals with those who reject him unashamedly in his own time. We respond in obedience, reflecting God’s patience.

The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives. (2 Peter 3:9)