Encounter with a Samaritan.
John’s Gospel records this incident between a Samaritan woman and Jesus.
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”4:19-26.
Here we have a conversation between a Samaritan woman and Jesus. Samaritans and Jews never spoke. Many Jews in the day of Jesus, even avoided going through Samaria to go from the north to the south of Israel even though it was the most direct rout.
Jesus however had not such problems and in speaking to the Samaritan woman we can I think say in a symbolic way, that Jesus shows that the message of Salvation he brings to the world is for everyone.
Jesus notes that he is indeed the Messiah that comes from the Jews. But in the middle of this passage he notes,
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Ultimately the temple as we know was destroyed and the Jewish people scattered. It however did not stop devout people from worshipping God.
The Apostle Paul points out,
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.” Acts 17:24.
I’m sure there were many in the time of Jesus who went up to the temple to worship out of duty or as part of their culture. They simply believed this was what one did if one was a Jew.
Matthew’s gospel records this incident between Jesus and a young man. He records,
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’”
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:16-22.
This young man had great wealth. His faith was in his wealth not truly in God. He was obeying God’s word but lacked faith in God.
As Jesus pointed out to the Samaritan woman,
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Today in our churches there are many who go to church out of a sense of duty. Some go for the social aspect of church, or because their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, went to church. To them it is the thing to do.
While it is good to go to church and the social aspect can have positive effects on our life. That is not what being a believer in Christ is all about. It is about faith in God. The writer of Hebrews telling us.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Please think about it.
John’s Gospel records this incident between a Samaritan woman and Jesus.
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”4:19-26.
Here we have a conversation between a Samaritan woman and Jesus. Samaritans and Jews never spoke. Many Jews in the day of Jesus, even avoided going through Samaria to go from the north to the south of Israel even though it was the most direct rout.
Jesus however had not such problems and in speaking to the Samaritan woman we can I think say in a symbolic way, that Jesus shows that the message of Salvation he brings to the world is for everyone.
Jesus notes that he is indeed the Messiah that comes from the Jews. But in the middle of this passage he notes,
Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Ultimately the temple as we know was destroyed and the Jewish people scattered. It however did not stop devout people from worshipping God.
The Apostle Paul points out,
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.” Acts 17:24.
I’m sure there were many in the time of Jesus who went up to the temple to worship out of duty or as part of their culture. They simply believed this was what one did if one was a Jew.
Matthew’s gospel records this incident between Jesus and a young man. He records,
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’”
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:16-22.
This young man had great wealth. His faith was in his wealth not truly in God. He was obeying God’s word but lacked faith in God.
As Jesus pointed out to the Samaritan woman,
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
Today in our churches there are many who go to church out of a sense of duty. Some go for the social aspect of church, or because their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, went to church. To them it is the thing to do.
While it is good to go to church and the social aspect can have positive effects on our life. That is not what being a believer in Christ is all about. It is about faith in God. The writer of Hebrews telling us.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6.
The apostle Paul writes,“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Please think about it.
