THE SAMARITANS
The Samaritans were descendants of Jacob, like the Jews, but they inter-married with other tribes and adopted some of their pagan traditions. The Jews, God’s Chosen People, despised the Samaritans and would not associate with them.
No wonder the Samaritan woman was surprised when Jesus spoke to her at Jacob’s well. Jesus, having asked the woman for a drink of water, developed their conversation as He spoke of giving her “Living Water welling up to Eternal Life”. The woman recognised Jesus as a Prophet initially and confessed that she knew Messiah was coming. When Jesus told her “I am He” she ran to tell her family and friends. Then many Samaritans, who had heard the woman’s testimony, came to Jesus and persuaded Him to stay with them for two days. Having heard Him speak, many more believed and declared: “We have heard Him ourselves and we know that He really is the Saviour of the world”.
It is amazing that while His own people rejected Jesus, the Samaritans recognised Him as the Messiah we also know from the Acts of the Apostles, that the Samaritans were among the first people to accept the Good News of Salvation through the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Have we the faith to receive Christ as the woman and her people did?
No comments:
Post a Comment