Reception of the Lord
At the Fourth of John’s Gospel, a Samaritan woman became convinced she had encountered the promised Messiah following a conversation with the Savior at the Well of Jacob. She subsequently abandoned the water pot she had come to fill and went into the city to encourage others to come out and meet the Lord; and many did. These Samaritans present a stark contrast to those of whom Stephen spoke at the Seventh of Acts, who for generations had persecuted and slain those who prophesied of Christ, and whose descendants had crucified the Son of God and martyred Stephen for pointing all this out. Remarkably, that unnamed Samaritan woman acknowledged to the Savior that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. It appears these differed not only as distinct people, but also in their reception of the Lord.
Written by David Hayes Prophater