See Him Smile

Listen to this question the Samaritan woman asks (John 4 v.20) “Where is God? My people say he is on mountain Gerizim. Your people say he is in Jerusalem. I don’t know where he is.” I love to imagine the expression on Jesus’ face when he heard these words. Did His eyes water? Did He smile? Did He look up and wink at His Father?

Just think. Of all the places to find a hungry heart – Samaria? Of all the people to be searching for God – a woman? Of all the people to have an insatiable appetite for God – a five-time divorcee? Of all the people the most “insignificant” person in the region? And of all the people to receive the secret of the ages, an outcast among outcasts? (John 4 v. 26)

It is remarkable that Jesus revealed the secret of the ages – his identity – in the shade of a well, in a rejected land, to an ostracized woman. His eyes must have danced with pure love and joy as he whispered the secret — “I am the Messiah.”

unpopular route

• Jesus took the unpopular route to Samaria, John 4.3

The rabbis taught it was ritually defiling to touch a Samaritan or any utensil handled by a Samaritan. Since Samaria lay between Galilee and Judea , pious Jews normally walked the 20+ extra miles around Samaria rather than go through it.

We too must be willing to walk paths that are not often trod to reach out. Thru his Good Samaritan’s parable Jesus urges every disciple of his to reach out to nominal Christians with love and concern.

http://travancoreann.blogspot.com/2009/11/reaching-out-to-christians.html use this link to go to the original master post – – Reaching Out to Christians. this and some other following posts are small postcripts. read more