Gospel (Lk 9,51-56) - As the days were coming when he would be lifted up, Jesus made the firm decision to set out towards Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. They set out and entered a Samaritan village to prepare their entrance. But they did not want to receive him, because he was clearly on his way to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and consume them?" He turned and scolded them. And they set off towards another village.

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

With this passage Luke begins the central section of his Gospel: Jesus' journey with his disciples towards Jerusalem. The disciples wanted to stop him, but Jesus "definitely" - with this word the evangelist shows the master's firm will - set off towards the holy city. He did not stay in the places that were usual and safe for him, sheltered from the violence of his enemies. In short, he did not want to give in to the temptation of the tranquility of his usual horizon, as often happens to many of us, perhaps covering ourselves with the excuse of our borders, our diocese, our parish, our neighborhoods, and so on. The Gospel does not tolerate limitations and provincialism, even if this means difficulties and clashes. Pope Francis repeats that the Gospel must go through the streets and reach the human and existential peripheries. It is destined for them, because it is in those places that it must bring liberation and relief. Obedience to the Father and the urgency of communicating the Gospel of love have absolute primacy in his life. Jesus therefore with decision, that is, willingly and radically obeying God, sets out towards Jerusalem. The evangelist notes that he sent some disciples ahead of him to prepare his entrance. The first stop was in a village in Samaria. There, however, the disciples find themselves faced with a clear refusal from the Samaritans. They didn't want them to go to Jerusalem, such was the hostility towards the Jewish capital. Giacomo and Giovanni – rightly angry – would like to exterminate the entire village. But Jesus responds with love to the coldness of those who do not want to welcome him and harshly rebukes - notes the evangelist Luke - the violent "zeal" of the two disciples. Once again the evangelical vision of life that Jesus proposes to us clearly emerges: for him there are no enemies to defeat or destroy but only people to love to make them fraternal.