The time was approaching— the time for everything that Jerusalem held. Jesus set his facelinkContextset his face“He set his face” echoes Isaiah 50:7 — the Suffering Servant who faces opposition without flinching: “I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” Luke sees Jesus' journey to Jerusalem as the Servant's journey to suffering. This verse opens the “travel narrative” (9:51–19:44) that will dominate Luke's Gospel from here to the triumphal entry. toward it.The old Hebrew expression for resolve that does not flinch: he set his face like flint, knowing what was ahead. He sent messengers to a Samaritan village to arrange lodging. They came back empty-handed. The Samaritans wouldn't receive himpublicCulturethe Samaritans wouldn't receive himJews and Samaritans had been enemies for centuries. Samaritans maintained their own version of the Torah and worshipped at their own temple on Mount Gerizim, not in Jerusalem. The hostility was mutual and deep — comparable to the most entrenched ethnic-religious conflicts of any era. A Jewish teacher heading to Jerusalem was heading to their rival's shrine, and they refused him for it. — not because of who he was, but because of where he was going.Jerusalem. The rival city. Centuries of enmity between Jews and Samaritans, and Jesus was walking straight toward the other side's shrine. James and John were furious. “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heavenlinkContextfire down from heavenThe disciples' request directly echoes Elijah calling fire from heaven on the king's soldiers (2 Kings 1:10-12). James and John see themselves as Elijah figures, defending God's honor through divine violence. Jesus refuses the role entirely. The Transfiguration has just confirmed that Jesus supersedes Elijah — and his way forward is not fire but the cross. to destroy them?”They meant it. Elijah had done exactly that. Jesus turned — and rebuked them.Not the Samaritans. The disciples. They went on to another village.