Good Saturday morning! From the weather forecast we might just have the start of autumn today; but there is no guarantee. I seem to recall that the Car Care project at the church was postponed by snow at this time last year. What a difference a year can make, eh? I pray that you have a wonderful and productive Saturday on this more autumn-like day.
What does John have for us today? Route information it would seem.
He had to go through Samaria on the way. John 4:4
There is a whole history behind this seemingly dull comment from John. From our town here in western Nebraska, we would have to go through Wyoming to get to Utah. No big deal, the road is wide and relatively straight with only a few really big hills on it. There is some very nice scenery around Laramie and Elk Mountain, and then this area past Rawlins where you kind stare in awe, wondering, "I hope no one ever got lost in this desert!" In any case, we hurtle through it in our cars or trucks and enjoy the journey. What if you hated the inhabitants enough to go around the entire state? That is what the Jews from Judea did with Samaria. With the automobiles of today, going around Wyoming would be roughly the same as the Jews of Jesus' time taking the longer journey on foot around Samaria. However, we simply don't understand the situation. While someone might drive down to I-70 for a change of scenery over driving I-80 through Wyoming, we cannot understand what the Judeans felt at that time.
According to my Bible study notes, Samaria was a region left to the barbarians in a manner of speaking. When the northern kingdom of Israel fell back in the B.C. days, the few pure blood Jews left had to intermarry with the Gentiles who were resettled in the area or have their families die out forever. The mixed blood race left behind is a part of what we know as the Palestinians today. The hatred between the races still causes problems in our day, so we can probably imagine a little of what was going on in Jesus' time. You might imagine also just a little bit of the old snarky in John's tone when he wrote this verse: "He just HAD to go through Samaria on the way!" Sort of like you or I might say of old Pastor Bob, "He just HAD to go through the venomous reptile cage on the way out of the zoo!' The disciples followed where Jesus led them, and going through Samaria may not have been their idea of a rockin' good time. Much like following Pastor Bob through the cage holding venomous snakes and lizards might not be our idea of a good time.
The disciples following Jesus may have been trying to step lightly for fear of becoming unclean in Samaria. John may have kept his journal standing up to avoid sitting on the rocks of Samaria. We don't know these things, but we do know from John's gospel that Jesus just had to walk through Samaria...
I wonder if there are any prejudices in my own life that may need to be rooted out? Have a great Saturday!
Bucky
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