For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. Ezekiel 34: 11-12
Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well is a familiar passage to most of us (John 4:1-26). The Samaritan woman was a hot mess needing a lifestyle change for sure. Jesus offered her a drink of the Living Water, and she accepted and went on to tell the entire town. It is an amazing example of God’s grace to an undeserving soul. It reminds us that we all are undeserving souls dependent upon God’s grace and mercy for salvation. But this time, studying this passage, one little word caught my attention and took my thoughts in a different direction.
Chapter 4 of John opens with Jesus and his disciples traveling from Judea to Galilee. He left Judea and went again to Galilee. He had to travel through Samaria…..(John 4:3-4) The little word I referred to is the word “had.” The scriptures said Jesus had to travel through Samaria when, in fact, He didn’t have to. Though it was the most direct route, most strict Jews traveled across the Jordan and bypassed Samaria. They did not want to risk defilement by being anywhere close to a Samaritan. To the Jews, a Samaritan was more revolting than a pagan Gentile. Sometimes, I believe when we hear the word Samaritan, our mind settles into the story of the Good Samaritan, and we forget how deep the hatred ran. The story of the Samaritans and how they came to be can be found in the book of 2 Kings. The king of Assyria captured the cities of Samaria and deported most of the Israelites to Assyria (2 Kings 17:6). The King of Assyria brought people from all the surrounding areas and settled them in place of the Israelites in the cities of Samaria. They brought their foreign gods with them, and together with the Jewish remnant that remained in Samaria, they created a religion for themselves that the Jews considered heresy. The Samaritans not only intermarried with the foreigners, but they defiled all Jewish customs and laws.
But despite the ongoing feud, Jesus “had” to travel through Samaria. Why? Because He was in pursuit. He didn’t care about what people would say about Him taking the wrong road or talking to not only a Samaritan but a Samaritan woman of ill repute. He was on a mission, and she was His mission. From the very beginning, God has pursued us. After Adam and Eve sinned, they did not run toward God; they ran away, hiding among the trees (Genesis 3:8). But God pursued them, calling out, “Where are you?” God’s passionate pursuit of us required Him to send His beloved Son to die in our place. And Jesus’s earthly mission was to seek and save that which is lost. He never gives up, even when we are stubborn and rebellious. His pursuit is relentless. And He continues to pursue us after we have trusted in Christ for salvation. He pursues a deeper commitment from us so that we may be conformed to the image of Christ. Jesus pursued a woman who was a hot mess in every way and made her kingdom worthy. There is no greater honor than being the object of the Lord God Almighty’s pursuit. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture is of the Sea of Galilee with the surrounding countryside. This would be Jesus’s destination when he went by way of Samaria.