Jesus’ Ministry
January 10, 2019
Scripture Reading: Acts 8:14-17
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
This seemingly simple activity report is loaded with meaning. The Samaritan were one of the most hated peoples for generations among the Jews. What does it take to move a people from hating to celebrating another group? I wonder how those who did not accept Jesus as the Christ thought about this transformation?
Allan W. Eckert’s The Winning of America series included a story he told about some Mennonites who established a good relationship with a group of Native Americans who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and attempted to follow his guidance as they understood it. They understood that Jesus was a pacifist and thus war and discord with others was forbidden. This group was meeting in a round house when a group of white people entered the building and shot and killed each of the natives as they stood with hands folded in prayer. Two little boys escaped before they would have been shot and lived to tell the tale. I wonder how many times this story was repeated across this country when no one survived? I do not recall much about the shooters. They may even have been soldiers. They may have been professed Christians cleansing the world of pagans.
I am sad to say we still live in a world today where fear and bigotry, greed and lust for power works to rob us of the gifts of grace and love we find in Jesus Christ. Our work to do justice includes walking with those who are oppressed even when the oppression is coming from people who are a lot like us.
Prayer: Lord, give us the courage of your love to stand with others being oppressed. Amen.