By Earle Roberts
After the death of Stephen the believers in Jerusalem were persecuted, especially by a Pharisee named Saul, who had held coats for those who threw stones at Stephen. Many of the believers left Jerusalem for nearby areas in Judea and Samaria.
Philip, one of the seven chosen to serve, went to Samaria, north of Jerusalem. The Samaritans were despised, even hated, by the Jews. They were of mixed ethnic backgrounds, and had a religious faith using only the five books of Moses from the Hebrew scriptures. Their worship was not centered in Jerusalem. To these shunned neighbors, Philip preached the gospel of Jesus and was heard gladly. He did many signs and wonders among them, and many were baptized into the faith, including a local leader named Simon, a magician highly regarded in the city.
When word of this evangelistic success in Samaria reached the apostles (still in Jerusalem), they dispatched Peter and John to visit these new, non-Jewish believers. These apostles prayed with and for the Samaritan believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit, laying hands on them. The magician named Simon observed this, thinking that simply by the laying-on-of-hands the apostles were able to impart this special power. So Simon asked if he might pay enough to be able to perform this special act himself. Peter’s harsh rejection of the idea of “buying” God’s gift led Simon to beg for mercy and forgiveness.
Philip was then directed by the Lord’s messenger to go to the southwest of Jerusalem, to the road to Gaza. There he was directed to join a traveler who had been to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home. The traveler was from Ethiopia, was an official in the administration of the Queen of Ethiopia, and was a eunuch. He was reading from the prophecy of Isaiah (chapter 53). When asked if he understood what he was reading, the man confessed needing help in understanding and invited Philip to join him. Beginning with the Isaiah passage, Philip taught the good news of Jesus. When they came to some water by the road, the Ethiopian asked to be baptized. Philip baptized him; the man went on his way rejoicing; Philip went north and came to Caesarea.
- The message of Jesus Christ is good news for folk who are ethnically different, have held other religious faiths, and have different cultural backgrounds. How might the good news be as broad and inclusive as the people it was intended for? How might the good news be somewhat different for different kinds of people?
- Simon tried to buy position in the church (now called simony). What other ways might we try to use the church for personal advantage?
- What other details do you notice in today’s reading?
Prayer: Help us, O God, faithfully to witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ wherever we may be. Strengthen us with your Holy Spirit. Amen.
