In a Nutshell
The seed of the Good News of Jesus Christ continues to be broadcast far and wide and those who believe in the Lord God's Chosen One will also follow Him in His sufferings. The community of believers discover how deep the opposition to the message of love and forgiveness can be, but they find they have been prepared when God's Spirit overcomes their own opposition. The Holy Spirit promotes boldness and joy.
Questions
Why do Christians so often forget the Jewish roots of their religion?
Previously, on their trip up to Jerusalem with Jesus, James and John showed they were fired by the spiritual enmity that had characterised Judah's relationship with Samaria for hundreds of years. Jesus' rebuke (Luke 9:55) indicated their blindness. The Son of Man had come to heal and that breach was not outside His power. So, maybe now, once more waiting in Jerusalem, they had begun to wonder how Jesus' words, "you will be my witnesses in Samaria" would be fulfilled. As they thought about the persecution that had sent so many into exile from Jerusalem, they may well have been wondering about this. Would Samaria have to wait until things had settled down? Then news of Philip's work alerted them to a new outpouring of Holy Spirit. Obviously, God Himself was at work in Samaria preparing the way. God had sent His Son so that historical rifts would no longer keep people from serving each other in the bonds of love.
And so we now read how Peter and John proclaimed the good news in Samaritan villages, on their way back to Jerusalem. This means that these communities were willing to show the kind of hospitality to those coming to and from Jerusalem that they were not able to show a few months earlier. When Jesus and his disciples were on their way up to Jerusalem they had to find another place to stay. But now Peter and John preached in those towns and so they could indeed be places that welcomed God's Prince. They had become part of Jesus' ministry of reconciliation. The Samaritan towns had received power making them "good Samaritans".
These days, it is said to be good practise for a preacher to stay around after a new church has been set up to help ensure its ongoing viability. That was not how Philip operated. Under the Holy Spirit's prompting, Philip moved on. Luke makes a point of telling us this. The Samaritans were a people who believed that one day God's deliverer would come. They organised their common life of service to God and neighbour from synagogues. But now after Peter and John came down from Jerusalem to their villages, they became part of the network of churches believing in Jesus Christ. They too had work to do, for God's Spirit was with them.
The gospel kept on rolling. Isaiah's prophecies came to a stark fulfilment out on the Gaza Road. Someone who could not enter the temple was baptised. God's promises were coming true for all kinds of people. The persecution in Jerusalem may have caused many to flee for their lives, but, under the Holy Spirit's guidance, new chapters in the story of God's grace were being told.