Always practise forgiveness and mercy

THE EDITOR: We often hear of Samaritans and it is important to know what was Jesus’ attitude towards them. In 722 BC Assyrians conquered Israel and many inhabitants were deported from the capital, Samaria. Conquerors brought colonists into Israel to occupy it. They were of mixed race from the Mesopotamian Valley and they mingled with native inhabitants who remained in Israel. They worshipped the Hebrew God. When Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Israel returned in 520 from exile in Babylon and started to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem, Samaritans offered their help but it was refused by Jews.

A century later, in the time of Nehemiah, when the Jews were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Samaritans tried to hinder them. The Samaritans afterwards built a rival temple on Mount Gerizim but it was destroyed by John Hyreanus, a Jewish King in 110 BC. All those events led to great bitterness and in Jesus’ time the Jews would have nothing to do with Samaritans who occupied the territory between Judea and Galilee. In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ commission to the Twelve Disciples He told them not to go into Gentile country or “any city of the Samaritans. They were to confine their mission to Jewish territory.

All the other Synoptic references to Samaritans are in Luke. He tells of two occasions where Jesus came into contact with them. At the beginning of His journey to Jerusalem, He sent messengers into a Samaritan Village to prepare for the night but villagers refused to receive them. John and James wished to call down fire and destroy them but Jesus “turned and rebuked them.” They went into another village. Jesus refused to revenge himself on the Samaritans. Later on the journey, Jesus was met by ten lepers who called out to Him for pity. He told them to show themselves to the priest and as they went they were cured! Only one of them returned to thank Jesus who was surprised that only “this alien” had returned; this man was a Samaritan. The others were Jews.

Jesus made a Samaritan a hero of a parable. When a lawyer asked Jesus, following an injunction to love his neighbour, “And who is my neighbour?” Jesus took him to a man who was robbed on the Jerusalem-Jericho road and was ignored by a priest and Levite. Jesus said that a passing Samaritan looked after him; took him to an inn and offered to pay for his expenses. When Jesus asked the lawyer, which proved to be the neighbour, he replied: “He who showed mercy on him.” Jesus’ rejoinder was: “Go and do likewise.” There was evidently no prejudice in Jesus’ mind and heart against the race so despised by the Jews. People should always practise forgiveness and mercy.

AHAMAD KHAYYAM
Curepe