All that being said...
Last night at Youth Group we started studying the story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well. I know, anyone who has been to church for any length of time has likely heard the story... Jesus goes to Samaria, sits at a well because he's thirsty, and so on and so forth... but if we really READ what the words say the story takes on a whole new meaning. I know - this is going to get harder to read, but bear with me... the passage from John is this... (My words and notes in BLUE)
John 4:1-18 (BibleGateway - New King James Version)
Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. Christ NEEDED to go through Samaria. No normal Jew would go through Samaria, but would pass around, despite being way out of the way, because they wanted nothing to do with the Samaritans who they viewed as "lesser" people because they had intermarried with other religions and were no longer a pure people. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. About noon - remember that without watches and alarm clocks and satellites to set the time, in ancient times, people told time by the sun, so the 6th hour would be about 6 hours after sunrise, somewhere near noon. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” Really, a woman walked that far to the well with her water jugs to gather water for her family at noon?! That's not normal. The historical norm was for a woman to go around sunrise to get her water for the day... and then again around sunset if she had need. 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Beyond that Christ was alone as He had sent the disciples into the city.... so we have here a Jewish Man speaking to a Samaritan Woman.... all KINDS of cultural norms being broken. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. Christ NEEDED to go through Samaria. No normal Jew would go through Samaria, but would pass around, despite being way out of the way, because they wanted nothing to do with the Samaritans who they viewed as "lesser" people because they had intermarried with other religions and were no longer a pure people. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. About noon - remember that without watches and alarm clocks and satellites to set the time, in ancient times, people told time by the sun, so the 6th hour would be about 6 hours after sunrise, somewhere near noon. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” Really, a woman walked that far to the well with her water jugs to gather water for her family at noon?! That's not normal. The historical norm was for a woman to go around sunrise to get her water for the day... and then again around sunset if she had need. 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Beyond that Christ was alone as He had sent the disciples into the city.... so we have here a Jewish Man speaking to a Samaritan Woman.... all KINDS of cultural norms being broken. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
Ok - so I'm going to stop the story there for now. So Jesus NEEDed to go through Samaria (Weird), He talked to a Samaritan (WEIRDER), the Samaritan was a Woman (EVEN WEIRDER), and He spoke to her the truth concerning Himself as Savior and of her past. (Really, does anyone but Christ know all of our secrets?)
Think about it. Christ told us to Go and preach Him. He gave this example of going outside our comfort zones, into places where people don't always believe what we believe, and truly caring for people, no matter their circumstances, their past or their present. It reminds me of what a preacher I was listening to once said "No ones cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."
As we're going though everything in our life right now, as we wait on Alexander to make his arrival and prove doctors wrong... I'm very much outside my comfort zone. I like knowing and planning and being prepared. I do not like expecting the unknown. No matter who I'm talking to, I try my best to explain the peace that Christ promised to give us, that He has given to us as a family. So, yes friends, though I have my weak moments when I'm scared for the future, dreading the reality that I may one day hold my son as he takes his last breath. I have a peace, a peace that surpasses ALL understanding. I know that no matter what happens with Alexander, my God is in control. He has an amazing plan, though we may not understand. And no matter what, I'm still praying for a complete healing, that as we continue visiting doctors and planning for Alexander's arrival, we may be able to share with the Doctors that we DO know how he was healed, he was healed by the faith and prayers of MANY who are praying with us. Thank you, for all your prayers, and your support.
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