People vision

January 30, 2009

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Jesus withdraws from Judea; John 4:1-3

John 4:3-4 ESV
3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.
4 And he had to pass through Samaria.


Interesting set up here for what was going to happen. Jesus knew what was coming so he made some journey plans. You see, the people of Samaria were not real Jewish people. When the 10 tribes split from Judea, the King over those tribes created a new capital and a new religion. Most of it was pagan worship, but it held just enough of the belief of God that they knew what the law said. So the Samaritans and the Jewish people really hated each other.

Now Jesus could have, and by Jewish customs should have, gone around Samaria to get to where He needed to go. Not Jesus, never met a person He did not like. Right through the heart of Samaria to a confrontation.

We need to look at people like Jesus did. Not look at the people groups, but to look at the people.




Read for tomorrow: Samaritan woman at Jacob's well 4:4-26