Luke 9:52 “and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.”
Not every Samaritan was friendly to Christ. Though they did receive Him in spite of how the Jews felt about it, there were those among them that also rejected the truth.
The disciples had been trained a lot at this point and they knew how to get a town ready for Jesus to come. But this is significant for us to notice. Even during the ministry of Christ, while He was physically on earth, He expected people to accept Him through His followers. In other words, there was no second chance given to those who would reject the human representatives of Christ.
Oh how many there are in this day who claim Christ and yet will not come to church! They see hypocrisy, or they have been hurt, or they were not treated as they expected, or they were mocked in some way. They expected to come to church and find people so much better than those they rub shoulders with in the world.
But the church, my friends, is the battleground. It is where the fight is the strongest. It is where the enemy will aim all his guns. And why? If the church falls apart, all is done. And though the church as a whole will remain until God removes it, it may be removed from one locale or another prematurely. You will find many there who need help, and many who are not very good. But, you will also have thrown your lot in with those who are indeed being the hands and feet of Christ. Do not claim to do this, and yet stay out of fellowship with the body of Christ.
Heavenly Father, help Your church! You have given us a task that is beyond all that we can do, and yet You have given us the means to do it. Thank You for making Your truth available in the way You have seen fit to do so. We will always praise You for the means that You have chosen, for You do all things well. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.