Who are my Samaritans?

Joel Gilbert

Individual Sermons • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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General theme - Our hatred, biases, prejudices, and bigotry cause us to miss divine opportunities. In Jesus day, Jews and Samaritans did not get along. Jesus travelled through a despised land, talked to a despised woman, of a despised race, and a despised reputation. All of these were despised - not because Jesus viewed them that way, but because His culture did. As a result of Jesus breaking through the social barriers, many people believed in Him. In the movie “Avatar,” the Na’vi have a phrase “I see you” - meaning - not only do they see you physically - but they see who you are. Jesus truly saw this woman who was socially outcast because of her lifestyle and showed her compassion. Jesus saw the people of this Samaritan village and willingly remained with them for two days, opening scripture to them. Do we see the people around us the way that God does? Is there latent prejudice that keeps us from engaging with people who are different than us?

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Who do we hate?

Now, I know, that’s a harsh way to speak. But really, do you or I hate anyone? Do we strongly dislike anyone?

What about… (possibly a picture for each of these)

Bullies

Rich people

Poor people

Republicans (symbol)

Democrats (symbol)

Libertarians (symbol)

Socialists (symbol)

or what about people who look like...

(Chinese)

(Native American)

(African)

(Asian Indian)

(Caucasian)

(Latino)

(Middle Eastern)

Or what about people who like ...

the Dallas Cowboys, or

the Patriots, or

the 49ers (no - everybody likes 49er fans)

Baltimore Orioles

Washington Nationals

New York Yankees

New York Mets

Or what about people who worship differently than we do?

Catholics (picture of pope or cardinal)

Presbyterians (logo)

Methodists (logo)

Hindus (picture of worshipers or idol)

Jews (jewish star)

Muslims (mosque or someone in traditional islamic attire)

Atheists (logo or sign stating “there is no god”)

Have I stepped on every toe here?

We could go on and on about things that divide us. We might state that we don’t hate anyone, but is that really true about the way that we live or about the people we hang out with?

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he was constantly pushing people to look at their biases and prejudices. He pushed against the tendency to ignore or ostracize people for a variety of reasons.

He was referred to as a glutton and drunkard because he chose to hang out with people who struggled with those vices. He was called a friend of sinners because he invited dishonest (tax collectors) and sinful people (the adulterous woman) to follow him.

Jesus seemed to be in the business of breaking down bias barriers.

Today, as we consider Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, we are going to look at the barriers he broke down and the result in her life and the life of the community.

In the passage that we read, Jesus has a very interesting conversation with this person. While the conversation was enlightening and full of lessons to be learned, some of the unspoken parts of the conversation give us as much, or more, to learn from than what was spoken. In this conversation, we learn that…

Jesus was not confined by the Cultural Barriers of His day. He was more concerned with the truths of the Bible and the advancement of the Kingdom than he was with the man-made traditions that were put in place to keep people from sinning.

Jesus Broke Through Cultural Barriers

There are several things that Jesus does to reveal to us what he thought about the cultural barriers that permeated Hebrew culture in that day.

First of all, Jesus…

Walked through a defiled land (4)

If you were to look at a map, you’d be able to see Judea, Samaria, and Galilee all in a row, from south to north. Jesus was down in Judea, probably in Jerusalem, and decided that he needed to go to Galilee. So He heads north. The challenge is that directly north of Judea is Samara. The tension between Jews and Samaritans ran so deep that Jews, according to some scholars, would not enter Samaria for fear of becoming ceremonially unclean. Many times, even though it was the quickest route between Galilee and Judea, some strict Jews would travel around Samaria in order to avoid this defiled land.

The region of Samaria was formed when the kingdom of Israel divided. After Solomon, the people of the northern Kingdom (Samaria) decided to set up their own kings – often ungodly. Because of this, their faith became watered down and even somewhat mixed with other religions. Because of this, Samaritans and Jews disagreed with each other on issues of the faith.

In addition to walking through a defiled land, Jesus…

Talked to a woman (7)

“Some Jewish thought held that for a rabbi to talk much with a woman, even his own wife, was at best a waste of time and at worst of diversion from the study of Torah.” (Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 227)

Jesus clearly disregarded this cultural barrier in talking with her - which is why she responds to him by saying,

“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

More than just talking to any woman, Jesus talked to a woman…

... of a defiled race (7)

The Assyrians came and conquered the people of Samaria, the northern kingdom. When they resettled the land, many Assyrians intermarried with Samaritans. This caused many pure Jews to look down on the Samaritans. According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, there was a Rabbinic law that stated that “Samaritan women were considered as continually menstruating,” which essentially deemed them as permanently unclean. Again, Jesus did not consider this cultural barrier worthy to be observed.

Jesus talked to this woman, of a defiled race, …

… and a defiled lifestyle (18)

For many strictly religious people, this woman would have been considered sinful because of the fact that she had been married so many times.

But it’s not only the religious people that treated her this way. If you look in your bibles at - what time of day did Jesus meet up with this person?

Several of the commentators have pointed out that being in the middle of the day, this woman would have been coming to the well alone - because none of the other women would have wanted to be near her either. Many women would have gone in groups at the beginning or end of the day. She probably had a sort of reputation. Sometimes those reputations are well-deserved. Many times, those reputations are difficult to get rid of. Which may be a bit why there is such harshness in her tone with Jesus.

Have you ever come across people who present a hardness in their personality? I wonder if this woman had been hurt so many times by her former lovers that she presents this hard edge to her personality in order to drive people away - and yet Jesus looks right through that and engages her.

Several years ago, James Cameron (?) directed a movie entitled “Avatar.” It was a fascinating science fiction movie about humans who were mining for a special resource on an alien planet. This planet was occupied by a group of people called the Na’vi. One of the things that we learn in the movie is that the Na’vi have a saying that implies understanding. They would say “I see you.” Not simply meaning that I have eyes and I can see that you are there, but I see YOU - who you are, I understand you, I know you.

Jesus, in this conversation seems to be communicating to this woman that he sees who she is, that she has value, that she has hurt. He doesn’t really comment much on her lifestyle, but he offers her hope and a future.

(consider cutting out this next section)

With this conversation, Jesus introduces a pattern of talking with outcasts in order to reveal the fact that God’s love is for everyone. We already talked about this briefly, but His showed this by…

Working with a Tax Collector ()

For many folks, tax collectors were viewed like some view politicians today. They were not to be trusted because of their cheating ways. Jesus, breaks with this accepted view and sees value in the person – even bringing him into his discipleship circle.

He also demonstrated the love of God by…

Forgiving an adulteress ()

In this encounter, several religious leaders of his day bring a woman who was caught in adultery. They had already cast judgment on her and sought to stone her. They also wanted to trap Jesus. His response was forgiveness. “If any of you is without sin, let him cast the first stone.”

For Jesus, her value was not in her mistakes, but in her creator.

In addition to working with a tax collector and forgiving a sinner, Jesus showed the love of God by…

Healing the ceremonially unclean ()

Now, in this encounter, Jesus is walking through a crowd and a woman, who was unclean because of a bleeding problem, touched him in order to be healed. Her very act of faith made Him ceremonially unclean – because she touched him. His response was not anger or rage or bitterness. His response was love – “your faith has made you well.”

Jesus also demonstrated the love of God for us by…

Touching and Raising the dead ()

Again, this very action would have made him ceremonially unclean. And yet Jesus lived the pattern that Paul describes in - looking to the needs of others.

We could go on and on talking about the way that Jesus was willing to minister to people of a “defiled lifestyle”

On a side note, I believe that the church today could learn a lot from his actions with these people. He did not condone their lifestyles or conditions, but did treat them with love and compassion.

So Jesus sacrificed broke down cultural barriers by going through a defiled land, talking to a woman of a defile race and lifestyle. In addition to that…

He was willing to take from a defiled cup (7)

In verse 7, it says that Jesus asked for a drink. In verse 9, John includes a parenthetical statement for his readers in order to help them understand this tradition. Another translation of that reading has said “Jews do not use dishes Samaritans have used.” (Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 285).

I think that beyond just drinking from a cup, there is a nearness and fellowship that comes with sharing food with others. When we were in the Middle East, hospitality was a big deal. It was a sign of friendship and trust. By being willing to drink from her cup in her presence signified more to her than it would to us.

Finally,…

He defiled worship by removing it’s location-specific limitations (23)

For Jews, Jerusalem was the place to be. For Samaritans it was Mt. Gerazim. For Jesus, it was neither. He sought genuine worship - in spirit and in truth.

So we see that Jesus broke through cultural barriers, but to what end? Let’s look at...

The Results of Ignoring Cultural Barriers

As I read through this, there are several results that we can see in the lives of the people who are involved.

Generally Speaking, ignoring cultural barriers allowed Jesus to...

Seize a Divine Appointment

This entire encounter would not have happened if Jesus had continued with what was expected. He would have never gone through Samaria or talked with that woman.

Now I know that there are dangerous places. I’m still trying to get to know Poolesville. There may be some of those places here, but do you and I try to avoid going places because of a perception of safety?

We have some good friends from South Africa. Last week, someone asked them about places to go. Generally, their response was that if you’re in Johannesburg, be very watchful. they have had family members get mugged while sitting in a restaurant - the entire restaurant. Now there are many people who would say that they want to leave South Africa because of the crime - which is probably a good reason to go - but what about the gospel? Are the people who are stuck in a life of crime not worthy to have a Gospel witness?

Ignoring cultural barriers not only allowed Jesus to seize a divine opportunity, but it allowed Him to...

Set the Samaritan Woman Free

Let’s put ourselves in this woman’s shoes for a moment. She is coming to the well at the hottest part of the day. Maybe she is ashamed of her lifestyle and her decisions. She may feel alone - none of the other women will talk with her. The men see her as an object to be used and then discarded. Day after day she is caught in this cycle of going to the well, getting water, carrying it back to her home, roughly a mile away.

Now, throughout their conversation, the Samaritan woman pushes back at Jesus, seeking answers to obvious questions. She pushes back over...

The Social Conflict

She questions why he would talk with her. She knows that Jews and Samaritans don’t get along. Why would He give her the time of day?

She also pushes back revealing...

The Spiritual Struggle

She pushes back, inquiring about the nature of water, misunderstanding the water that Jesus was referring to. The region in which she lived was very dry. There were no natural creeks or streams. The best they could do is get water from this well.

And yet - Jesus uses a bit of a play on words. He refers to “living” or “moving” water. In a liquid sense, this would be like comparing water in a bucket verses water coming from a hose or a faucet - still water verses moving water.

Initially that’s the water she is thinking about. That’s the water that she wants.

But Jesus is referring to a water that is spiritually refreshing - not tied to dead-end tasks (like pulling a bucket up from a deep well) - but spiritual water that wells up to eternal life.

In all of this pushing back, she is actually demonstrating an openness to Jesus’ message. Gary Burge, in his commentary on the book of John, notes that the story of Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and the story of the Samaritan are next to each other in the gospel for a reason. He says,...

“The best that can be said is that Nicodemus is a closed religious character and the woman is an open irreligious character - and each demonstrates different levels of receptivity to Jesus and his message. Nicodemus launches questions, the woman is looking for Jesus’ answers.” (Burge, Gary M. The NIV Application Commentary: John, p. 154).

One of the exciting things about this story, is that we can already begin to see the living water welling up in her. As she probes and Jesus responds, she realizes that He is someone of spiritual significance. Jesus reveals His true nature and character as being the Messiah. In her fervor, she returns to the town - telling everyone that to “Come see a man who told me everything that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (v. 29).

In addition to setting the woman spiritually free, Jesus ...

Uncovered the Spiritual Blindness of the Disciples

One of the things that help us to trust in the reliability of the Bible is the way that it presents people. Look in verse 27 -

Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”

English Standard Version Chapter 4

Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

They didn’t ask him those questions - but it appears they were thinking it. The disciples are portrayed throughout the Gospels in a very real and fallen way. Their faults are placed right out in front. It gives me hope as I see the way that I struggle with things and fail to perceive exactly how God is working.

Beyond their marvelling at the fact that Jesus was talking with this woman, they ask Him about eating. Look at verses 31-33 -

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Just as the woman was initially focused on physical water, the disciples are clearly focused on physical food. They were blind to the the spiritual opportunity that was right in front of them.

Jesus continues by saying…

“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

I can almost imagine Jesus initially pointing to some nearby fields saying … there are yet four months and then the harvest - and then turning back toward the town saying… look the fields are white unto harvest - as a crowd of people begins to approach, which brings us to our final point.

Ignoring cultural barriers allowed Jesus to not only seize a divine appointment, set the woman free and uncover the blindness of the disciples, but it allowed Jesus to...

Satisfy the Spiritual needs of the Samaritans

John writes that “many Samaritans believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony...” (v. 39). I think this speaks volumes about the importance of seeing people for who they are and ministering to them. She was so excited about what she experienced with Jesus that the testimony of His goodness began to well up in side of her. So almost out of curiosity, the people of the town began come to Jesus, to see this man. John writes that many more believed because of Jesus teaching. Her testimony peaked their interest, His teaching captured there hearts - so much so that they compelled him to stay for 2 more days.

By ignoring and even breaking these cultural barriers - Jesus seized a divine opportunity and ministered - not only to this woman, but to the entire city and demonstrated God’s love for all humanity in front of His disciples.

Conclusion

Now, I realize that having a conversation about this on this day might seem strange - and maybe even insensitive. It may be. But I think that this is a helpful reminder for us not to simply rest in events where we come together a few Sundays each year. It would be easy to say, “I’m not biased or bigoted, we worshiped with this group or that...” and leave the issue there.

Just in the last few months, we’ve witnessed a mass shooting at a mosque in New Zealand, the suicide bombs at churches in Sri Lanka, the synagogue shooting in California, just to name a few. If we look back just a bit further, we can see the violence that took place in Charlottesville as people sought to elevate one race of people over another. Even in the Southern Baptist Convention, a few years back there was a great deal of conflict that ensued as some sought to denounce the message of the Alt-Right and others initially refuse to have it come to the floor for a vote. While it did eventually come up, the damage had been done.

Beloved, racism is not just a social and political issue, I believe it’s a Kingdom issue. Revelation reveals that in the Kingdom of God there will be people from every nation, tribe, and tongue gathered around the throne.

I think it’s important for our churches to continue to partner together. Gatherings like this, I think, help us to follow Jesus example and give us a glimpse of what things will be like in Heaven. You and I interact with people each and every day. Are there cultural barriers that prevent us from having conversations? Are there fears that hinder us from walking across the room or across the street to truly get to know an individual different from us - whether that is a person from a different racial or ethnic background, or a different country, or denomination, or sexual orientation? We are all fallen individuals who bear the image of God and yet are in need of a savior. We are surrounded by fellow, fallen image bearers.