Jesus HAD to pass through Samaria

When we read the book of John we are privileged to get a “look behind the curtain” (to borrow imagery from the Wizard of Oz).  While each of the synoptic gospels provide a useful synopsis of some of the significant events of Jesus’ missionary journeys, John presents in what I like to call a theological narrative.  This is evidenced in the way his book begins, with what scholars now refer to as “The Great Prologue”, as well as the conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 (to cite just a couple of examples).  In short, what I mean when I call John a theological narrative is that John provides theological explanation and insight to accompany the narrative elements he recounts.

Matthew was written with a specifically Jewish audience in mind; Mark was written with Roman audience in mind; Luke was written with a Greek audience in mind.  But John was written to “everyone” – that “all” might believe.  We do see God’s love heavily emphasized in John’s gospel, which is portrayed in part through a series of recorded events that we don’t find in the synoptic gospels, such as the wedding in Cana and the conversation with Nicodemus.

John 4 is another prime example, telling of Jesus’ visit to Samaria.  If we look closely, we see an astonishing statement made in verses 3 and 4, “He (Jesus) left Judea and went away again into Galilee.  And He had to pass through Samaria.”

Wait, what?

He HAD to pass through Samaria?

That can’t be right.

The original audience reading/hearing this text would have fully expected this passage to read “He had to pass AROUND Samaria,” not “THROUGH Samaria.”

In our own context, 21st century Western culture, we might not immediately recognize the social tensions and context of this 1st century Palestinian culture.  The Jews and the Samaritans quite literally hated one-another.  Why?  Who were the Samaritans anyway?

If you remember your Old Testament history, you’ll recall that Samaria was actually the capital of the northern 10 tribes of Israel (with Jerusalem being the capital of the southern tribes of Judah).  After Assyria’s conquest of Israel in 722 B.C., Samaria was never the same again.  The remnant permitted to stay in the land adopted pagan worship practices and assimilated with the Assyrians as well as with the foreign/pagan peoples the Assyrians had imported to Samaria.

Because of the Samaritans’ descent into paganism, the Southern Jews (Judaites) essentially shunned them and began treating them as enemies.  We see this in full effect roughly 200 years later when Persia allows a remnant of the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple.  In Ezra 4:1-5, the “enemies” of Judah and Benjamin wanted to help rebuild the Temple, but Zerubbabel and Joshua wouldn’t allow it.  These “enemies” were the Samaritans, and they never forgave the Southern Jews for this ill treatment.

As a result, or in defiance, the Samaritans built their own temple on Mount Gerizim, which you may recall from Deuteronomy 11:29 and Joshua 8:33 was the mountain of blessing, which stood not far from Mount Ebal, which was the mountain of curse.  When the people entered the Promised Land, they were to stand before these two mountains, placing the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse of Mount Ebal to serve as a reminder of the choices the people could make.  They had/have, as do we, the daily, on-going opportunity to choose blessing(s) or curse(s).  This is of course summarized again by Joshua when he charges the people to “Choose this day whom you will serve” (Josh. 24:15).

So the Samaritans built their own temple on the mountain, and ceased recognizing the temple in Jerusalem as authoritative.  

Bad blood persisted over the years. 

John Hyrcanus, around 128 B.C., invaded Samaria, devastated the land and destroyed their temple.  

After the removal of Archelaus in A.D. 6, the Samaritans defiled the temple in Jerusalem by scattering corpses around.  

In short, things were so bad that the two groups were trying to avoid each other altogether.

But Jesus HAD to pass through Samaria.

This wasn’t a geographic necessity (there were other roads around), but rather a spiritual necessity – a “compelling” holy discontent.

Jesus HAD to pass through Samaria for divine appointments, to spread the Good News even to Israel’s “enemies”.

Because the Good News isn’t just for good people.

Because the Good News isn’t just for people we like.

Because the Good News is really Good News for all.  

“For God so loved THE WORLD, that He gave His one and only Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal LIFE.  For God did not send His Son into the the world to condemn the world, but TO SAVE the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

And what is this salvation?  In John 4:10, Jesus makes a profound insight by referring to Jeremiah 2:13, “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”  

And there we see it, that the nature of sin is not really about transgressing a moral law, but rather the nature of sin is idolatry – the pursuit of living waters on our own terms.  It harkens back to the original temptation in the Garden of Eden, that we can be (like) God.  And the result is always broken cisterns that hold no water.  

This was the message Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, a woman who had known all to well the vanity, the meaninglessness (see Ecclesiates) of pursuing pleasure and satisfaction apart from the fountain of living waters, apart from life in God, and beautiful intimate relationship with Him.

And what was the result of Jesus’ mission to Samaria?

John 4:28-42 completes the narrative.  The woman races back into town and starts evangelizing.  The people come out to see Jesus for themselves, wind up inviting Him to stay longer (which He does), and many are saved. They had seen and heard Him for themselves, which is a reminder that each person must choose for themselves to respond to Jesus – it’s not enough to just hear about Him from someone else.

It is also worth mentioning that Jesus tells his disciples the “fields are white for the harvest” (v35), and is referring to the Samaritans (in this passage) – the “un-elect”, Israel’s enemies.  This is a reminder that grace, salvation, and even discipleship is for everyone – not just for the people that think and act like us.

What is your Samaria?