John 4: 4
“Now he had to go through Samaria.”
Since the days following the reign of Solomon, the people of Judah looked upon the Northern Tribes of Israel as sinful because they had replaced the worship of God in the temple at Jerusalem with the worship of two golden calf idols.
In the time of Jesus Samaritans probably looked upon the Jews as stuffed shirts. Especially since later in their history, after God had used the Assyrians to take Israel into captivity, those who were left were mingled with other cultures and they strayed further from their Mosaic roots.
In Jesus’ day, it seems likely that people could choose to travel through Samaria to go between Judea and Galilee or they could go around. Going around Samaria could add as much as a week to the trip, but it would avoid the unpleasantness of dealing with Samaritans.
Q: How do you suppose God’s view of these two people groups, the Jews, and the Samaritans, differs from the people’s view of each other?
Jesus doesn’t play bi-partisan politics like we do.
Good Monday morning to y’all.
Good morning, Robster!
Interesting comment! Some people might view Jesus as representing the “far right” and others hold him up as a banner for the “left.” How does Jesus’ view of things differ?
Man seems to look for what divides. God is interested in what unites.
Satan and sin divide.
Jesus and Holy Spirit unite.
Jesus sees the heart. I find it fascinating that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria.” Whatever that means, He was not in a hurry as He stayed in a Samaritan village for several days. He appears to have needed to show His disciples that He was invested in reaching all people – and He wanted them invested to see people’s needs as He did. That still speaks to me today.
Both the Jews and Samaritans felt THEY were favored by God, and the other was a red haired step child. There was a mutual hatred for each other based upon each believing they served the one true God, and the other blasphemed God. They were divided and determined there was no common ground for them.
GOD VIEWS ALL MANKIND DIFFERENTLY:
John 3:16, For God so loved the WORLD He gave His only begotten Son.
Romans 5:8, While we were yet SINNERS, Christ died for us.
Gods love for all mankind is unconditional. We are sent to reveal the love of Christ in us, to the unsaved, not the saved. Each person has the God given right to accept His love and forgiveness or choose to reject the relationship He seeks with us.
Look at Malachi 1:2, Romans 9:13, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated ” which appears to contradict John. God loves to place these little faith testers in His word which appear to be contradiction to other inspired words. I don’t believe God is referring to individuals, but is in fact referring to worldly a life style. Actions, hearts which are dedicated to living and promoting Anti Christ, unholy lives, promoting evil over Holiness. God being Holy, by nature simple hates and cannot associate with sin.
God loves the sinner and hates the sin, empowers each of us to do the same, as we minister to all in His love.