The Savior of the World in Christ: Realization of Samaritans

 

The Savior of the World in Christ
Realization of Samaritans
 

A Reflection: Dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (Jn 4: 5-30)

 

Background of the Story 720 BCE
-        The quarrel between the Jews and the Samaritans
-        Deportation – inculturation – the loss of Racial purity (1 Kigs 17:6, 24).
-        Freedom by the Persian King and Return of Jews to Jerusalem
-        Ezra and Nehemia – a plan to repair and rebuild the temple
-        Samaritans were not accepted in the task by the “pure -Jews”
-        Samaritans founded a temple on Mount Gerizim – center of Samaritan city
-        Embittered hatred between Jews and Samaritans in Maccabean days (129 BCE) lasted 400 years
 
Points for Reflection
(1)             Living Water – symbolic – the thirst of the soul for God
-        Samaritan woman was astonished that Jesus a Jew speak to her
-        “ To the thirsty I will give water without price….(Rev. 21:6)
-        Chosen people draw water from well of salvation (Is 12:3; 55:1)
-        Soul is Thirsting for the living water (Ps 42:1)
-        Jeremiah – people forsaken God the fountain of living water (Jer. 2:13)
-        River of life – (Ezk. 47:1-12)
-        Identification of the living water with the wisdom of the Law and the Holy Spirit
-        “Give me this water,” she said, “so that I will never be thirsty again and will not have to walk to the well day after day.”
-        In every man there is this nameless unsatisfied longing; this vague discontent; this something lacking; this frustration.
 
(2)             True Worship
-        In a false worship we may detect three faults:
-        (i) A false worship is a selective worship.
-        The Samaritans took as much of scripture as they wished and paid no attention to the rest.
-        Dangerous things in the world is one-sided religion.  
-        Suiting ones own thoughts and ones own position.
-        (ii) A false worship is an ignorant worship. Religion is hope ( 1 Pet 3:15 ).
-        (iii) A false worship is a superstitious worship.
-        God is spirit. God is not confined to places. The only gifts that befit the nature of God are the gifts of the spirit--love, loyalty, obedience, devotion.
-        The true worship is attaining friendship and intimacy with God.
 
(3)             Call thy Husband
-        The story is not actual incident but an allegory
-        When Samaria people were transported to Media five more nationalities brought in (2 Kigs 17:29)
-        *  Woman = Samaria; five husbands = five false gods of five nations - 6^th is True God in false worship
-        * Five husbands = First five books of the Book of Genesis and 6^th is Gerizim temple
-        * Five husbands are five senses and 6^th one is Mind (intellect)
 
Five Senses and Mind (Intellect) Psalm 115:4-6
(4)              
They have mouths, but they cannot speak. (Jam 3:6): And the tongue is a fire.
They have eyes, but they cannot see. (Mt 6:22-23): “The eye is the lamp of the body.
They have ears, but they cannot hear. (Rom 11:8): Their ears are hard of hearing
They have noses, but they cannot smell.
The works of the flesh  (Gal 5:19ff..)
o   Mind that can not control the sense destroys the whole body.
o   Abraham made Sarah to say lie that she was his sister ( Gen 20:2).
o   Sarah convinced Abraham to have Hagar to obtain child (Gen 16:2)
 
(5)             The Development of Realization
-        Verse 9: “How is it that you who are a Jew ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?
-        Verses 11, 15 : The woman said to him: “Sir, …(Sir) give me this water, so that I will not thirst, and so that I will not have to come here to draw water.”
-        Verse 19: I perceive that thou art a prophet 
-        Verse 25: I know that Messias cometh… the tradition of the advent of the Messiah, , was generally received among the Samaritans also.
-        Verse 42: This is indeed the Christ - The promised Messiah. The Savior of the world
 
-               (6)       The Gospel record shows the Character of Jesus
i) It shows us the reality of his humanity.
ii) It shows us the warmth of his sympathy
iii) It shows us Jesus as the breaker down of barriers.
iv) Jesus was taking down the barriers.
 
(7)         (7)        Samaritan Woman and our real Christian experience
i) Her experience began with being compelled to face herself and to see herself as she was.
ii) The Samaritan woman was staggered by Christ's ability to see into her inmost being.
iii) The first instinct of the Samaritan woman was to share her discovery.
iv) The very desire to tell others of her discovery killed the feeling of shame in this woman.
 
(8) What is my Realization of Jesus and Experience?
The Samaritans believed in Jesus, not because of someone else's story
Christianity is a Christ - experience. I know what Christ has done for me
Here again tremendous personal responsibility is laid upon me!

 

MY SOUL IS THIRSTING

COME LORD JESUS                     YOU ARE MY SAVIOR