I still haven’t caught up to that hour that Daylight Savings Time took away from us, and consequently I’m an hour late for everything.
I have to visit Aunt Joan at the nursing home this morning. There are any number of topics to write about today. Hard to make up my mind: but John Chapter 4, Jesus and the Samaritan woman, is leading the pack. Not that I understand that incident!
In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy the archives and maybe throw in some comments that’ll be interesting to read. Aloha!
Visiting the aunt is quite important. She may not be able to respond at this point in time, but it might well be the best thing in her life.
I have no way of knowing what she perceives, what she thinks, or what she feels, because she can’t communicate it. I can only put my trust in God, and carry on as best I can.
In any event, you are doing what is right by visiting. Perhaps she doesn’t perceive your visits anymore, but God sees and He remembers.
Ah, John chapter 4; an interesting account. I thought I would share a couple of thoughts on that one. I have heard it taught by various preachers, most of whom majored on the woman’s great sin (having had five husbands, etc.), forgetting that in that day and society, a woman could not divorce her husband, but he could divorce her on the slightest pretext. Now, living with another man, without “marriage”, she would not be a popular person in the community. However, the Lord made this side trip for the express purpose of meeting with her, and letting her know He is the Messiah. Recall, He had not made that well known in His own community.
Than another intersting thing is that He saw in her a messenger to her village to being the Gospel. He could have chosen anyone else, but He chose her, and she was eager to share the message about Him. Many people from her town put their trust in Yeshua because of her testimony.
Then, He remained with them for “two days” (representing 2,000 years, or the “times of the Gentiles). According to the account of the cursing of the fig tree (a symbol of Israel), the tree was barren “because the season for figs was not yet”) Another hint adding to the teachings in Romans 9,10,11)
The Hebrews were, are and always be God’s chosen people, but He loves Gentiles equally, and when the “times of the Gentiles” is fulfilled, He will
rescue the Jews once again.
I’ve given that Samaritan women more than a little thought over the years. On the surface, this woman sounds like a weak person burdened with sins, but Jesus didn’t condemn her in any way. He treated her with respect and never assaulted her dignity.
Samaritans were a despised minority at that time. Even talking to one would have been shocking to many of the Jewish contemporaries of Christ. Jesus, indeed, had a purpose in seeking her out. He set an amazing example for all observers. Most importantly, in my humble opinion, there was not one harsh word spoken to her, even though she would have been seen as a sinner, on top of her hated status as a Samaritan.
Something tells me that Jesus chose to seek her out for a reason. Jesus used her as a specific example, so that we could understand mercy and love. That biblical account is an antidote to self-righteousness.
No one has a perfect “back story”. Everyone has things in their past which they regret. We are expected to live up to the Bible’s standards, but not one of us does so flawlessly. Jesus demonstrated the mercy that is needed for anyone to be saved, and lived that mercy, yet every time he turned around the 12 were arguing over who was greatest among them. After the death of Christ, the Christians bickered and raised issues attempting to impose their consciences on others. Not one of us is better than the Samaritan woman.
We all need to be washed clean of our sins and not one of us has the power to do so of our own accord. When I think of the messes people make of their lives and the lives of their children, I become downhearted. Somehow, in ways beyond our comprehension, God will set this straight through the blood of Christ. A woman with a string of divorces would have had plenty of baggage (whether by her fault or not) yet even that big of a mess can be made right in the blood of Christ.
I believe that is why Jesus sought her out.
Sorry about the stupid typos. It is these knotted, twisted fingers that do not
go where I tell them. Maybe you can decipher the meanings anyway.
No problem: I doubt I would’ve noticed them if you hadn’t mentioned it. Thanks for your comments. I’ll write about this tomorrow–too rattled to do it justice today.