193:1.1 About
four o'clock on Sabbath afternoon, May 13, the Master appeared to Nalda
and about seventy-five Samaritan believers near Jacob's well, at Sychar.
The believers were in the habit of meeting at this place, near where Jesus
had spoken to Nalda concerning the water of life. On this day, just as
they had finished their discussions of the reported resurrection, Jesus
suddenly appeared before them, saying:
193:1.2 "Peace be upon
you. You rejoice to know that I am the resurrection and the life, but this
will avail you nothing unless you are first born of the eternal spirit,
thereby coming to possess, by faith, the gift of eternal life. If you are
the faith sons of my Father, you shall never die; you shall not perish.
The gospel of the kingdom has taught you that all men are the sons of God.
And this good news concerning the love of the heavenly Father for his children
on earth must be carried to all the world. The time has come when you worship
God neither on Gerizim nor at Jerusalem, but where you are, as you are,
in spirit and in truth. It is your faith that saves your souls. Salvation
is the gift of God to all who believe they are his sons. But be not deceived;
while salvation is the free gift of God and is bestowed upon all who accept
it by faith, there follows the experience of bearing the fruits of this
spirit life as it is lived in the flesh. The acceptance of the doctrine
of the fatherhood of God implies that you also freely accept the associated
truth of the brotherhood of man. And if man is your brother, he is even
more than your neighbor, whom the Father requires you to love as yourself.
Your brother, being of your own family, you will not only love with a family
affection, but you will also serve as you would serve yourself. And you
will thus love and serve your brother because you, being my brethren, have
been thus loved and served by me. Go, then, into all the world telling
this good news to all creatures of every race, tribe, and nation. My spirit
shall go before you, and I will be with you always."
193:1.3 These Samaritans
were greatly astonished at this appearance of the Master, and they hastened
off to the near-by towns and villages, where they published abroad the
news that they had seen Jesus, and that he had talked to them. And this
was the seventeenth morontia appearance of the Master.
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