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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We move on in the Gospel of John to Chapter 4. Over these past weeks, we have seen Jesus at a village wedding changing water into wine. We have been reading of Jesus in Jerusalem observing the Jewish Passover, but having to cleanse the Temple of things and behaviour that ought never to have been present. Jesus was ridding it of rather obvious sin, as people were being defrauded and robbed and maltreated, in the House of God, in the place of Worship and Prayer.
We have been reading of Jesus down at the Jordan River, and today we see Jesus and His disciples making their way north towards Galilee, and Jesus decides to go through Samaria.
Now, Samaritans were what we would call half-castes, with mixed blood, not pure, and the Jews and Samaritans hated each other.
A Jew would not normally walk through Samaria. He was so proud and prejudiced that he would prefer to take a 70 mile detour around Samaria, rather than risk meeting a Samaritan.
Do you remember that man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, who fell among thieves, and he was robbed and wounded, yet, it was the Samaritan who helped him and ministered to his needs. Do note that his is never described as ‘good’! Men like to add the ‘good’ Samaritan. Jesus simply speaks non-judgmentally about a Samaritan
Jesus says, “We are going to walk through Samaria”. We are going to be amongst the people who hate us. We are going to love the people who despise us. We are going to speak to the people who will not speak to us.
We are going to speak to people with whom we are not on speaking terms!
Jesus Christ just has to do this, and as Christians we have to do this too.
Jesus will not be tied to any one class or race or creed or colour. Jesus will not be limited in any way.
Christ has come for all sorts and conditions of men.
Jesus does not just speak to those and with those who agree with Him. Jesus will go anywhere, and Jesus walks into Samaritan territory, and near the village of Sychar, there is a well, it is JACOB’S WELL. Today it is a contentious area.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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