It started with a message that the Pharisees were intently watching Jesus’ ministry. They began to do what most do when measuring church growth – they counted baptisms. And the baptisms that were occurring as a result of Jesus’ evangelistic work were greater in number than those resulting from the work of John the Baptist. They had not been happy about John’s influence over the people, and Jesus was having an even great impact. The Pharisees were not happy.
To avoid open conflict, Jesus decided it was time to leave Judea and go north to Galilee. But He went a different route than normally taken.
He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. John 4:3, 4
The road from Jerusalem to Galilee totally bypassed Samaria. Samaria was a place where no self-respecting Jew would be caught dead, much less voluntarily alive. Jesus didn’t just decide to take a different route because He and His disciples needed a change of scenery. Notice what the Gospel of John says: Jesus needed to go through Samaria. Jesus had a mission from His Father that day, and that mission could only be fulfilled inside Samaria.
So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. John 4:5-7a
It was noon time, and Jesus sent the disciples into the city of Sychar to find food. While they were gone, Jesus strategically placed Himself where He would be ready and waiting for the divine appointment His Father was about to put into motion. Jesus didn’t wait long. Jesus saw the object of His mission in the distance moving slowly toward the well. One lone woman of Samaria.
Samaritan woman. The lowest of the low as far as the Jews were concerned. You mean that Jesus went purposefully on a mission into territory that was off-limits for proper folk just to be available for a Samaritan, and a woman at that? Yes.
After a somewhat theological discussion with this Samaritan woman, a discussion that included her broken past, Jesus came right out and openly told this seeker of God that He was the Messiah. Did this woman keep this wonderful news to herself?
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him. … Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John 4:28-30, 42
This one Samaritan woman with a broken past found healing not only for herself, but in eagerly sharing what she received with people in her town, the entire town found healing as well.
Several years later after the stoning of Stephen, Samaria was a place of refuge for persecuted Christian Jews.
At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. Acts 8:1, 4, 5
You can imagine that many of the Samaritan folks who opened their doors to the persecuted Christian Jews were ones from Sychar who believed in Jesus because of the evangelistic efforts of one lone Samaritan woman. That was a pretty fabulous divine appointment, don’t you think?
What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:4-7
What if Jesus had decided that it would be too offensive for His disciples and others for Him to go into Samaria and instead went the normal route to Galilee? What if Jesus had thought that it wouldn’t be proper for Him to speak to a Samaritan woman? What if Jesus had determined that Samaritans just weren’t worth the effort because of all the conflict there was between Samaritans and Jews and it would just make His work harder to get involved with them?
Remember, God values the “one.” God may ask us to go out of our way into an unpopular place in order to reach someone we think is the lowest of the low. We need to do it anyway. God may ask us to engage in a mission that others may be offended by. We need to do it anyway. God may ask us to engage with an entire group of people that are not liked and deemed unworthy. We need to do it anyway. That one seemingly unworthy person may be the catalyst for an entire group of people coming into a saving relationship with Jesus. Can you see the joy on Jesus’ face in heaven when His dear ones from far and near are gathered home?
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