Grain & Embers 12/2/24

The city of Samaria was founded by King Omri around 880 B.C. The Hebrew word for "Samaria" is Shomron, meaning "watch-mountain," or "watch-tower." Samaria is sandwiched between Galilee to the north and Judea to the south.

When the Nation of Israel split into the two Kingdoms of Israel to the North, and Judah to the South, Samaria became the Capital of the Northern Kingdom. The relationship between the Israelites and the Samaritans was strained because the Samaritans fell prey to foreign influences; intermarrying with the idolatrous foreigners and were guilty of straying away from devotion to Yahweh, the God of Israel. This caused for tension to grow between the Jews and the Samaritans.

It gets worse. The City of Samaria was where King Ahab built a temple to the pagan God, Baal. Eventually, Herod the Great would rebuild the city during his reign and rename Samaria "Sebaste," to honor the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus. (Sebastos in Greek)

Samaria was a place of idolatry consumed with darkness. It's where Simon the magician in Acts 8 practiced his demonic magic. To the Jews, it became a place for which they would have great prejudice. The Jews would go many miles out of their way to avoid this despised land.

However, In Acts 8 we witness Phillips compassion and conviction to proclaim the Word of the Lord in Samaria, shining the Light of Christ in an idolatrous city for whom the citizens had no awareness of Christs sacrificial love, and certainly no awareness of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Phillips ministry of the Word and of power were adequate to win many Samaritans who came to faith and were baptized.

In the Gospel of John, we witness Jesus our Lord intentionally cutting through the land of Samaria to meet with the woman at the well, who is stunned by the fact that a Jewish man would have a conversation with her - for she knew how the Israelite nation felt about her and her people. After Christ shed light on her sin, exposing it, He proceeded to cast her a vision of a life freed from the power of sin. Jesus' compassion for her moved Him to sit with her, and His intolerance for sin commanded her to leave her life of sin. The woman was receptive! (John 4)
John's tradition also reports that Jesus stayed in Samaria for two more days and many Samaritans believed after they heard the Lord preach.

Again in Luke's Gospel tradition, we witness Jesus sharing the parable of the "Good Samaritan," - an almost laughable pairing of words to the Jews. Yet Jesus pointed out that the despised Samaritan in the parable was actually the hero of the story, confounding the Jews. (Luke 10)

Here are the points I am trying to make in today's blog:

• Samaritans were generally idolatrous people. 
• Though Israel had become prideful.
• Jesus shed light on the sin of the Samaritan women.

AND

• Jesus confronted and exposed the pride of the Jews.

The Samaritans are not our role model, nor are the Hebrews.
The goal is to be like Jesus.

Where we are rightly convicted by the Scriptures, may we also grow in our compassion for those who need those very Scriptures and the God they reveal.

May Christians in this part of the Church age be marked by their conviction of the Word of God, and like Phillip, take the living Word where darkness is prevailing. Darkness CANNOT answer the Word of God. Light always dispels darkness, every time. Do not fear the rejection of man, fear God. Hate what He hates, and love what He loves. God hates sin and loves people.

There is so much pain and darkness in our world. There are so many people who are looking for answers, for hope, and for life. Christians have the message, and the authority, to dispel darkness from peoples lives, and share with them the message of Jesus - the hope of the world. The holiday season is the season to love people well, even if their lives are messy and complicated.

Don't wait for your loved ones and colleagues to clean up their lives before you bring them the refreshing and transforming Word of God, full of conviction and compassion just like Philip did. After all, Jesus didn't wait for us to clean up our lives either.

For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He did not wait on us to get it all together. (Romans 5:8)

He loved us in our tragedy, and loved us until His victory became ours too.

This December:
May your strategy be one of conviction.
May your tactic be one of compassion.
May your motive be one of love. (2 Cor. 5:15-16)

stay salty. be a bright light.

Pastor Luke