The Samaritans and Jesus

by Hugh DeLong

If you study the history of the Samaritans and the Jews, particularly noting the events leading up to the time of Jesus, you will see the great animosity between them. John simply adds an explanation to help clarify this animosity in John 4:9: "For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." This story falls somewhere between two interesting scriptures. In Matthew 10, at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, he gives the disciples a limited commission and instructs them not to go into any Samaritan villages to preach. Then, in Luke 9:51-56, near the end of Jesus’ ministry, as he was going up to Jerusalem to worship, they went through Samaria and attempted to stay there. Whereupon, as contrasted here with the Samaritan woman and the village of Sychar, the Samaritans refuse these Jewish travelers.

Almost all other mentions of the Samaritans and Jesus are favorable. There are the stories of the good Samaritan (contrasted with the unloving Jewish leaders) in Luke 10, and the grateful Samaritan leper in Luke 17. With Jesus’ favorable comments and his traveling through Samaria on his journeys to and from Jerusalem, the Jewish leaders accuse him of being a Samaritan (John 8:48).

The disciples' relationship with Jesus changed with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18ff: "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations." Thus, we read in Acts 8:25: “So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.” Peter would learn a similar lesson about the gospel and all nations in Acts 10, where after the events leading up to his meeting with Cornelius, he affirms: “Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). The removal of this barrier between groups and even nationalities is mentioned several more times: Romans 2:10-11; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:11, 25; James 2:4, 9; and I Peter 1:17.

In our being disciples of Jesus, let us follow His example and instructions in not making such distinctions in our personal living, but be willing to share the gospel with all of any nation. How are your prejudices?