Spiritual Germs

Good morning!

Today's text is John 4:1-42.  I was reading it in The Message version this morning.  This passage contains a story about Jesus and His disciples journeying through Samaria.

Despite John the Baptist's righteous assertions mentioned in yesterday's post, the comparisons between his ministry and Jesus' ministry continued, fomented by the Pharisees who seemed to be keeping score.  In order to short-circuit that, Jesus left and headed back to his home area of Galilee.

Samaria was a region adjacent to Judea and Galilee, but between the two.  Therefore, if you wanted to journey from Jerusalem to Galilee, you the most expedient route was to go through Samaria.  You could have gone around it.  But, you'd have had to go out of your way.  Even though going around it was more difficult, this is exactly what many Jews did.  They turned their noses up at the Samaritans.

Samaria was inhabited by people who had some Jewish heritage, but their ancestors had chosen to intermarry with foreign peoples.  So, their Jewish bloodlines were not considered pure.  We might have called them "half-breeds".  At any rate, they were disdained by "the Jews".  Not only had the bloodlines of the Samaritans been corrupted, but their worship had been as well.  (2 Kings 17:24-41) Samaritans did not revere Jerusalem as the "navel of the earth", as did the Jews.  They worshipped on a mountain in their own land, and their worship did not conform to the strict rules/regs of the Jewish ruling council. In fact, some of them worshiped pagan gods.  "True Jews" viewed these people as "less than", outcasts, unworthy.  They had "spiritual germs", and true Jews could not risk contamination.

Now, in Jesus' day, for a man to speak to an unaccompanied woman was very bad form, Samaritan or not.  Furthermore, this woman of Samaria was "an outcast's outcast".  Not only was she Samaritan, she was an immoral woman. Although the Samaritans had more liberal views, this woman went "beyond the pale".  She had been married five times and was, at the time of the story, living with a man outside the boundaries of marriage.  She was so ostracized that she had to come to draw her water at a time of day (noon - - - the hottest time of day) when no one else would be around, to avoid heckling, hen-pecking, etc.  She had exceeded the limits of her neighbors' tolerance.

So, does Jesus shun her?  No.  Let's examine how He showed her the love of God, because this is how we should treat "the unlovely" of our day.
1.  He asked for her help, validating that she had "something to offer".  He was thirsty and had nothing with which to draw water.  So, He asked her to give Him a drink.
2.  He used common circumstances to illustrate the truth of the gospel.  He compared the water to the "living water" of salvation.
3.  He spoke to her honestly, not backing away from the truth of her sin, but kindly.  So often, we Christians want to back away from this point. Did you notice what the woman said later?  "He knows me, inside and out."  (vs. 39)  No rejection was implied in that statement.  She was proclaiming that Jesus had seen her, seen her years of sinful living, and still was willing to extend to her the offer of salvation.  In order for people to realize that they need a Savior, they must first confront the truth of their sinfulness, that inborn sinful nature which manifests itself in our lives through a multitude of evil ways.  If we are shifty or dishonest about those issues, then it makes this necessary step in the conversion process that much more difficult for those seeking to come to Christ.  We must be honest, but humble.
4.  He revealed Himself to her as Messiah.  He cut through her theological arguments, which she presented to divert attention from her own personal sin, and went straight to the heart of the matter - - - how to worship God in spirit and in truth.

The woman's response was to run and tell the townspeople about her encounter with the Messiah. While she was gone, Jesus re-framed things for the disciples.  They truly had not considered that corrupt Samaria was worthy of their evangelistic efforts.  He pointed out that the people living there were "ripe" to hear the truth of the gospel.

The woman returned with many townspeople, who heard Jesus and believed.  He and the disciples stayed there for two days, sharing the gospel, before journeying on to Galilee.

Over and over in Scripture, Jesus uses "the unlikely ones" to do His work.  Jesus revealed His identity to a Samaritan adulteress, which is one of the most shocking things He could have done in that day. We are called to share the gospel with everyone - - - the street people of our cities, the prostitutes, the drug dealers, the gang members, the abortionists, the militants who so vehemently trample our beliefs.  So often, we treat them like they have "spiritual germs", don't we?

Even though probably not understanding fully Jesus' message at the well, the Samaritan woman was the key to unlocking the hearts of many people of the Samaritan town of Sychar.  When you are given an opportunity to "go to Samaria", answer the call: GO.  Who knows if your interactions will be the key to unlocking many hearts to spiritual freedom, which is only available through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus did the Father's will by going through Samaria and preaching the gospel.  Will you answer His call and do the same?

Good morning, Lord.  While we sit in our comfortable homes and our comfortable pews, we are surrounded by people on the road to Hell.  It may be our next-door neighbor, our cousin, our friends. Or, it may be society's outcasts.  Regardless, Lord, make us miserable until we answer Your own personal calling to each of us.  Ready our hearts for those times when you will bring across our paths an "outcast".  All who now claim your name were once spiritual outcasts.  Our spiritual germs were washed away by Your precious, cleaning blood.  Help us never to forget...as we walk...resplendent.  In Jesus' name, amen.