And turning, he rebuked them, saying: you know not of what spirit you are.
στραφεις δε επετιμησεν αυτοις και ειπεν ουκ οιδατε οιου πνευματος εστε υμεις OMIT και ειπεν ουκ οιδατε οιου πνευματος εστε υμεις
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse
This serves as a beneficial lesson for the disciples, where the Lord instructs them through His own actions to avoid unkindness. However, the Lord demonstrates that His principles surpass even the life of Elijah, guiding them away from such thoughts. Instead, He encourages them to approach offenses with gentleness.
Yet Christ admonished them for their remarks. Consider, I implore you, the vast chasm that separates us from God: it is indeed unfathomable. He is slow to wrath, patient, and boundlessly gentle and merciful; in contrast, we, mere mortals, are quick to anger, impatient, and often react with indignation, condemning others even while guilty ourselves; we are ever ready to point out the faults in others.
Thus, the Almighty declares, 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways; for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.' Such is the nature of the Sovereign of all: while we, as mentioned, are easily provoked and angered, at times we take harsh and excessive retribution on those who annoy us in minor ways. Despite being called to adhere to the teachings of the gospel, we often fall short of fulfilling the law's demands. For the law has proclaimed: 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand,' prescribing that proportional response should be sufficient; yet we, although we may encounter minor transgressions, often seek severe retribution, forgetting Christ, who taught, “A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a servant greater than his master”; who, when insulted, retaliated not; when wronged, responded not, but entrusted His cause to the One who judges justly. In this vein, the patient Job is deserving of our respect, for it is written of him, ‘What man is like Job, who drinks in insult like water?’ Thus, for their own benefit, He corrected the disciples, gently curbing their anger and preventing them from voicing outrage against those who had erred, urging them instead to practice patience and maintain a steadfast spirit through it. This also equipped them for another purpose: they were to become teachers to the entire world, traversing cities and villages to share the message of salvation everywhere. Thus, as they pursued their mission, they would encounter wicked individuals who rejected the divine invitation and would not welcome Jesus among them, so to speak. If Christ had praised their desire for fire to fall upon the Samaritans as retribution for their offenses, it stood to reason that they could have been similarly inclined at other times; when people dismissed the sacred message, they might have been quick to condemn and call down divine fire upon them. What would the outcome of such actions have been? There would have been multitudes of sufferers, and the disciples would have transformed into tormentors, unbearable to all. Therefore, it was for their own benefit that they were chastised for their fury at the Samaritans' insults: they needed to learn that as bearers of God's message, they ought to embody patience and humility; not to be vindictive, angry, or confrontational towards those who wronged them. Paul instructs us that the ministers of the gospel exemplified patience, stating, ‘For I think that God has made us apostles last, like men sentenced to death; for we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men. Being reviled, we are blessed; being slandered, we remain steadfast: we have become the refuse of the world; the scum of all things to this day.’ He also wrote to others—or rather to all who had not yet received the light of Christ; they still bore the arrogance of the Samaritans—‘We beseech you in Christ's place: be reconciled to God.’ Hence, the teachings of the Gospel provide immense benefit to those who are truly discerning; may we, by embracing this wisdom, nourish our souls through constant praise of Christ, the Savior of all: to Him, and with Him, to God the Father be glory and dominion, with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
However, the Lord, who came to offer salvation rather than judgment, not through might but in meekness, and not in the Father's splendor but in humanity's shame, reproached them for neglecting His teachings and the purity of the Gospel. He taught: If someone strikes you on your right cheek, offer the other cheek as well (Matt. 5:39); and love your adversaries (Luke 6:27).
Christ admonished His disciples for desiring to call down fire upon those who rejected Him, illustrating that punishment is not always necessary for sin. Sometimes, exhibiting mercy proves to be more beneficial—for the development of patience in the righteous and for the repentance of the sinner. Notably, the Samaritans, whose village the Lord spared from destruction, eventually came to believe. It’s important to understand that Christ did not seek acceptance from those whom He knew were not fully committed to Him. Had He desired it, He could have transformed their unbelief into faith. The evangelist notes that they were hesitant because He appeared to be heading to Jerusalem (Luke 9:53).
Although the disciples wished to be welcomed in Samaria, God, in His infinite wisdom, calls the worthy and instills a reverent spirit. The disciples’ actions were not sinful in adhering to the law; they recognized that Phinehas was deemed righteous for executing justice against blasphemers (see Num. 25:7-11; Ps. 105:30-31), and that fire descended from heaven at Elijah's prayer as judgment for the prophet's offense (see 1 Kings 18:38). Those who fear the Lord may pursue vengeance, while those free from fear do not seek it. The Gospel reveals that the apostles held the prophetic dignity, as they boldly requested the same authority deemed worthy of the great prophets. They rightly claimed that fire descended from heaven at their word, for they were indeed the sons of thunder.
When the disciples, James and John, witnessed this, they asked the Lord if they should command fire to descend from heaven to consume them, as Elijah had done. However, He turned to them and restrained their suggestion. They may have felt slighted and were upset for the disrespect shown to their Master, believing it necessary to retaliate against those who had disregarded Him, drawing inspiration from the zealous actions of Elijah. Yet Christ instructed them against this, exhibiting patience and teaching them to endure the dishonor of those who disobey. He was aware that the Samaritans would not receive Him, thus sending His disciples to teach them not to retaliate against those who scorned. His disciples anticipated being rejected by many.
Rather than relying on their own strength, they offered to invoke fire from heaven. Although Chrysostom does not include the phrase, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are," he acknowledges this saying as belonging to the Lord in his other works. Thus, the term "spirit" should be understood as referring to the Holy Spirit, who is benevolent and without malice, like the other Persons of the singular Godhead.
As He departed from Galilee to undertake His final journey to Jerusalem, the Lord desired to revisit Samaria, having been there after His initial Passover ministry. However, His reception this time was notably different. Previously, He was traveling away from Jerusalem; now, He was on His way there, which stirred up the local prejudices and animosities against Him. Two of His disciples were prepared to invoke divine retribution upon the hostile townsfolk, similar to what Elijah had done. Yet, the Lord, having enlightened them about the distinctions between Elijah's era and the current age, tempered their fervent zeal. This incident illustrates the compassion of the Divine Shepherd, who, as if purposefully, became entwined in the events leading to the crucifixion of the God-Man.
As Jesus embarked on His journey, He sent ahead some of His disciples to herald His arrival, aiming to prepare the villagers for a warm reception as they passed through. This initiative was particularly important, given the historical animosity between the Samaritans and Galileans who traveled to Jerusalem for the feasts. It turned out that Jesus was not held up in a Samaritan village, as He appeared to be en route to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. In their zeal for their Master’s honor, James and John grew furious with the unwelcoming village and requested permission from the Lord to call down fire from heaven upon those who had wronged them, similar to the actions of Elijah (4 Kings 1:9-12).
However, the Lord responded, "You do not possess that spirit; as children of the New Covenant and as My followers, you have yet to grasp the essence of love, compassion, and forgiveness, which you have consistently witnessed in My actions and teachings. Instead, you remain rooted in the Old Covenant, where divine retribution was prevalent, and from which you are still seeking guidance for your conduct. For the Son of Man came not to destroy the lives of humanity but to save them."
In His teaching on this matter, Jesus empowered His apostles to perform wonders, which they indeed accomplished. Only those who had felt the strength of their words could assert with conviction that fire would descend from heaven at their command. However, the ‘Sons of Thunder,’ the zealous siblings James and John, lost sight of the fact that this divine authority was intended for good deeds, not for harm. Their Master instructed them to forgive those who wronged them, rather than seek vengeance. While retribution may have been a custom of the Old Testament, it was superseded by a new commandment: to love one’s enemies, to bless those who speak ill of you, to do good to those who harbor animosity, and to pray for those who mistreat and persecute you (Matthew 5:44).
Jesus reminded them of this teaching, prohibiting any act of revenge against the unwelcoming Samaritans. “You do not know what spirit you are of,” He chided them, “for the Son of Man came not to destroy the lives of men, but to save them,” urging His disciples to embody the same spirit of love and forgiveness. Rejected by the Samaritans, Jesus and His apostles proceeded to another village, likely outside of Samaria, as they made their way toward Jerusalem, traveling through the region between Samaria and Galilee (Luke 17:11). They may have even needed to return to Galilee to continue on their journey.
‘For zeal persecuteth the church of God’ (Phlp. 3:6). The essence of Christianity embodies a fervent and passionate spirit, yet it is also characterized by reason, humility, and endurance. The Lord Jesus Christ prohibited His disciples from calling down fire from heaven upon the villages that rejected His Gospel message (Luke 9:54-55). Therefore, inflicting suffering ‘in the name of faith’ stands in stark opposition to God's will, whether an individual inflicts it upon themselves—such as through self-sacrifice in heresy or a sick person’s resolve to enter freezing waters—or whether they permit such actions upon others, particularly those who hold different beliefs or merely resist the acceptance of Orthodoxy.
Christ admonished them sternly and corrected their misunderstanding. The purposes of God's heavens are not aligned with the striking of lightning. He told them, "Ye know not what spirit ye are." The Son of Man came to redeem, not to condemn, and if anyone listens to His message and does not have faith, He will not judge him (John 3:17, John 12:47). Therefore, without uttering a single harsh word, He moved on to another village. John, who was aware of the nature of the spirit he possessed at the time he was writing his Gospel, likely recalled these teachings of Christ when he accompanied Peter to Samaria to affirm the new believers and to bestow upon them the Holy Spirit.
"You do not comprehend the spirit you embody": you fail to understand that the essence of the New Covenant differs fundamentally from that of the Old Law. Thus, the heralds of the Old Testament should not emulate the heralds of the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the prevailing spirit is one of strictness and retribution; in contrast, here it embodies love and compassion, as the mission of the Son of Man is not to bring destruction but to offer salvation (cf. note on Matthew 18:11). Furthermore, when you attempt this, it is not motivated by genuine love for me, nor solely for the Samaritans. In this instance, it is less about your love for me and more about your animosity towards the Samaritans.
It is essential to abandon this old mindset of resentment and punishment directed at others, which stems not so much from stubbornness but from a moral blindness and ignorance of the truth. They may, in due course, come to see, recognize the truth, and repent.
Passages read together with this verse.
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THEOSIS