There was deep religious hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Samaritans were heretics in the eyes of the Jews. And so, on His journey to Jerusalem, Jesus was rejected by the Samaritans.
Jesus is going up to Jerusalem where His mission will be fulfilled. During these times, Jerusalem is seen as the place of persecution of the prophets. In other words, Jesus knows that He will die in Jerusalem, but in spite of this fact, He never stop from proceeding.
Like Jesus, there are two important places in everyone’s life; Samaria, the place of rejection and Jerusalem the place of persecution.
How do I react when people reject me or treat me badly? If I hate my enemies, I give them power over me (Sa Tagalog, ang pikon ay laging talo); power over my sleep (Napupuyat sa kakaisip; or even power over my health. If they knew how my hatred of them is tearing me apart, they would dance for joy.
Today, Jesus is so silent. He never spoke according to the gospel. But by His action, He has shown concrete examples. He has made rejection a space for humility and a source of strength, and he has made persecution the fulfillment of His saving mission.
