The Samaritans believe
St. John iv. 27 - 42.

XV

The disciples, come from Sychar, now draw near
With food they had been to purchase for their needs,
But chiefly for the Master's ; an-hungered He :
Amazed, they see bold woman of the land
In speech with Him ; no Jewish woman, she ;
None such would freely talk with man unknown ;
Nor would a Jew talk thus with woman strange.
Puzzled, their tongues were held, nor could they say,
"Why speakest Thou with her ? What seekest Thou ?
And the woman of their scorn ? She was too full
Of the new wine of truth to heed their looks,
Or the pitcher she'd come weary way to fill :

Away to the city went she, empty hand,
Said to the men, (would women turn from her ?)
"Come, see a man which told me every thing
That ever I did : can this one be the Christ ?"
Full well she knew, for had He not avowed ?
Wanted she yet the courage of her faith ?
Or dealt she still in wily, flattering ways,
And left the men full credit of discovery ?

156
157

Whoso's convinced, convinceth : straight, the men
Went out of the city, in the sultry hour
When Orientals sleep, to come to Him.

Meanwhile, the disciples prayed Him, "Rabbi, eat",
Athirst, an-hungered, out-wearied with the way,
Knew they their Master. Who so quick as they
To see His needs of flesh, and minister ?
But what of this He saith, "I have meat to eat
Ye know not of." Jealous, they ask each other,
"Hath any man, then, brought Him aught to eat ?"
(Now would they glance at the woman, unworthy, she !)
Coming and going, eating and taking rest, ---
In these they knew their Master --- who but they ?
Jesus saith unto them, --- "My meat, to do
The will of Him that sent Me ; to accomplish
His work appointed." What strange thing is this ?
He speaketh with idle woman of the country,
And, lo, that look, they know, of God within
O'erflowing limits of His mortal frame !
This woman of Samaria, what had she
To do with will of God --- Messiah's work ?
And what hath will of God to do with meat ?

158

They thought it not, but had they let themselves
Give shape to thought, "He is beside Himself," ---
Was ready for their thinking !
					Christ, fulfilled
With Joy of him who bringeth offering
To the temple, joy of first-fruits of harvest,
Saith, "Say not, four months yet, and then the harvest :"
(Say not, the season of Messiah's sojourn,
And then the gathering-in).  "Lift up your eyes :
Already white for harvest are the fields ;
Look ye upon them, see how they be ready !
(All this, for He had gathered one poor soul,
Gain we scorn, in our lordlier wise !
Our Master, teach us Thy humility,
And how a single soul is all to Thee !)
"You have I called to reap the ripened fields ;
Good wages get my labourers day by day,
The while they gather fruit to life eternal !
(This woman have I gathered in the hour)>
But go I sowing ; ye shall the harvest reap,
That I sow, and ye that reap, together
May rejoice. That saying of weak hearts is true ;
One soweth, another reapeth fruit : what then ?
The joy of harvest is for both alike ;
For both, the fruit they garner : you I send
To reap the fields whereon ye've laboured not,
(My prophets, holy men of old, have laboured).
Therefor the fields are whitened for your reaping."
And, as the disciples heard, they were aware

159

As of a cracking of the husk of the world :
Things grew uncertain, mighty, full of import.

And as He spake, behold, upon the way,
A crowd come with the woman out of Sychar :
They came believing, for the woman's word ---
(Would we but know what name to call her by !),
"He told me all things that ever I did."
And on that word she came, a reaper, forth,
Bearing her sheaf in her hand --- Samaritans,
Who were her neighbors. Boon they came to beg,
That He, a Jew, would come within their city,
Abide with them, and teach as He taught
The woman by the well. Never did Christ
Deny His presence to who craved for it ;
He went with them, and two whole days He taught.
And not a word have we of all that store
Of wisdom given to those Samaritans !

But they were worthy, said they to the woman :---
"Now we believe, for we have heard ourselves,
And know this, --- the Saviour of the world."
That these, scorned of the Jews, should have bestowed
That dearest title of the Son of Man ---
Salvator Mundi --- SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD !

by C. M. S. Mason