Chapter 11 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good Monday Morning to this week 11 of 2022
A few years ago an astonishing story hit the world news.
Samaritans number about 800, roughly split between Mount Gerizim and Holon. Thanks in part to the six Ukrainian women who have moved to the mountain, as well as several Israeli, Ukrainian, and Azerbaijani women who married men in Holon, their population is slowly growing again.
Or another more current story. During the second intifada, a 56-year-old Samaritan, was driving home from the Palestinian town of Nablus. “When I was almost home, I came across two Palestinian boys and they shot me,” he says. “The blood ran from me like water.” He lost control of his car and drove into an Israeli roadblock. The Israeli soldiers shouted at him to stop. “But I couldn’t stop the car. And so they also shot me. There are probably few people in the world who have been shot by both Palestinians and Israelis within minutes of each other.
The Samaritans in Jesus\u2019 day began as a race of people in the Old Testament, formed after the Assyrian King took most of the nation of Israel into exile. He repopulated what was then Israel\u2019s capital city, Samaria, with foreigners who eventually intermarried with the Jews who remained in the land. As a result, their offspring was only half Jewish. These half-Jews became known as Samaritans.
This parable is found in Luke 10:25-37. A pharisee of the law questioned Jesus and asked what he must do to receive eternal life. When Jesus turned the question back to him, he had to say that the law stated that a person was to love God and love his neighbor as himself. However, the agitated pharisee wanted to excuse himself, so he asked, \u201cAnd who is my neighbor?\u201d But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. \u2018Look after him,\u2019 he said, \u2018and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?\u2019 The expert in the law replied, \u2018The one who had mercy on him.\u2019Jesus told him, \u2018Go and do likewise. Jesus had a different attitude toward Samaritans than most Jews. He didn\u2019t hold them in contempt; instead, he reached out to them. He healed a Samaritan leper. When a Samaritan village refused to welcome him, Jesus didn\u2019t allow his disciples to order its destruction. One of his most famous parables tells the story of a good Samaritan, who helped a Jew in need. Jesus once went out of his way to travel through Samaria so he could speak with the woman at the well. As a result, she and many people in the town believed in him as the Messiah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus asked her for a drink. The woman was shocked. \u201cYou are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?\u201d (John 4:9). In response, Jesus said that if she asked Him, He could give her living water. She asked for the water! Jesus continued, yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.\u2019 The woman said, \u2018I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.\u2019 Then Jesus declared, \u2018I, the one speaking to you \u2014 I am he.
The story and parable couldn’t be more up-to-date as hatred keeps being promoted in so many areas of the world. Healing of wounds and relationships between people, tribes and nations, or just the daily living by ordinary people. The call of this parable is; acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God forgiving those who hurt and constantly letting our hearts being converted to loving instead of hating.
Wishing you a good start to this new week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philemon <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter 11 Good Monday Morning to this week 11 of 2022 A few years ago an astonishing story hit the world news. Samaritans number about 800, roughly split between Mount Gerizim and Holon. Thanks in part to the six Ukrainian women who have moved to the mountain, as well as several Israeli, Ukrainian, and Azerbaijani … <\/p>\n