Sunday 27 June 2010

Background

We are probably familiar with the Good Samaritan (Luke10:25-37), but we may be less familiar with the 'badSamaritans' who provoked James and John to such un-Christian anger.There is history here.

The kingdom of David and Solomon split into two after the death ofSolomon around 927 BC, and there was fierce, sometimes violentrivalry between the northern kingdom of Israel and the southernkingdom of Judah. Two hundred years later Israel was overrun by theAssyrians, and only small areas such as Samaria and Galileesurvived. The Samaritan Jews developed their own version of Judaism(which continues today) with their own Hebrew Scriptures, holyplaces, priesthood and a temple on Mount Gerizim as a rival toJerusalem - much to the disgust of the 'proper' Jews of thesouthern kingdom of Judah who later destroyed the Samaritantemple.

By the time of Jesus, Samaria, located between Judea and Galilee,was not somewhere a good Jew - like Jesus - would visit.

The reaction of the Samaritan villagers to Jesus is interesting.They might well have welcomed him as the messiah (like all Jews,they too looked for the coming 'anointed one') but they rejectedhim "because his face was set toward Jerusalem", and not MountGerizim. And James' and John's reaction to them was equallyinteresting. They believed that God would give them power todestroy their village as God had destroyed the Canaanites whenIsrael first occupied their land. But Jesus, it seems, was lessconcerned about those who rejected him than with those who claimedto accept him but who were unwilling to accept the fullimplications of discipleship.

For them (and maybe he had some of his disciples in mind too) hehad an uncompromising warning: don't follow me unless you arereally serious about it and prepared to put loyalty to me above allother commitments - even to home and family. Better to be a sincereSamaritan and reject me than to be a dithering disciple not fit forthe kingdom.

To Ponder

The Judaism of Jesus' day was divided bycenturies-old arguments about sacred mountains and religiousshrines. Have you come across anything similar in the ChristianChurch? Why do you think such ancient arguments still survive?

Jesus' planned visit to a Samaritan village wascontroversial. What might cause similar controversy today?

"Better to be a sincere Samaritan and reject me,than to be a dithering disciple not fit for the kingdom." Do youagree?