The Unfit

Opening:

Prayer

This morning as part of our “Keeping your eyes on Jesus” Series I wanted to spend some time looking at the example Jesus left for us as how we relate to people.

Explain who Matt Mikaltos is (book Author)

Explain who Matt Mikaltos is (book Author)

Explain I know people with similar experiences and I’m sure you do to

Read Story in Matt’s book

(Read) Start @ pg. 29 and stop at note.

This story represents a truth that has been going on in our churches for years and is still happing to this day.

This kind of behavior was prevalent in Jesus’s day so much that he want our of his way to prove His point that this was not how He wanted things done

Keep this story in the back of your mind as we work through the message.

Read

General Info of this account

When examining this passage we can identify that this is an actual account that is documented for us not a theoretical example. Some of the way’s we know this is:

The way this laid out

The specific information involved

The witness

The following accounts

Some background information

The Jews really didn’t like the Samaritans

The Samaritans really didn’t like the Jews

I Tried to understand but his is deep rooted hatred but had a hard time:

The due to there inter marriage with the gentiles the Jews thought the were unclean

There was a time when the Samaritans sold the Jews into slavery

But yet when the Jews needed something they would buy from the Samaritans

The best I could find to summarize the relationship is this from Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary:

In the days of Christ, the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans was greatly strained (; ; ; ). The animosity was so great that the Jews bypassed Samaria as they traveled between Galilee and Judea. They went an extra distance through the barren land of Perea on the eastern side of the Jordan to avoid going through Samaria. Yet Jesus rebuked His disciples for their hostility to the Samaritans (), healed a Samaritan leper (), honored a Samaritan for his neighborliness (), praised a Samaritan for his gratitude (), asked a drink of a Samaritan woman (), and preached to the Samaritans (). Then in Jesus challenged His disciples to witness in Samaria. Philip, a deacon, opened a mission in Samaria ().

A small Samaritan community continues to this day to follow the traditional worship near Shechem.

Potts, D. R. (2003). Samaria, Samaritans. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (pp. 1436–1437). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

The Samaritans Beliefs:

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Samaritan Beliefs

Samaritan Beliefs. The main beliefs of the Samaritans demonstrate both the close affinities as well as obvious divergencies from mainstream Judaism. They held in common with Judaism a strong monotheistic faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In contrast, however, there was an elevating of Mt Gerizim in the north as the only holy place for sacrifice, based on several divergent passages in Deuteronomy and Exodus in the Samaritan text. Mt Gerizim came to be identified with the site of Abel’s first altar (Gn 4:4), the site of Noah’s sacrifice after the flood (8:20), the meeting place of Abraham and Melchizedek (14:18), the site of Isaac’s intended sacrifice (ch 22), and many other associations.

The Samaritans held only the first five biblical books (Pentateuch) to be inspired and based their dogma and practice exclusively on these books. Such a narrow canon not only determined the direction of Samaritan theology, but further separated them from contemporary Jewish thought. Moses, for example, becomes in Samaritan thought an even more exalted figure than in Judaism. He was considered not only the chief prophet, but in later thought was described as the choicest of men, pre-existing from creation, interceding with God for Israel, and being to man “the light of the world.” The messianic hope of Samaritan theology also reflects this narrow canon. A Messiah from the house of David could not be anticipated, as no evidence for such could be found in the Pentateuch. Rather, the Samaritans awaited a “prophet like Moses” based on Deuteronomy 18:15–18. This anticipated prophet was also designated the “Taheb,” the Restorer, for he would in the last days restore proper cultic worship on Mt Gerizim and bring the worship of the heathen to that site.

It is clear, therefore, that it was primarily the claim of supremacy for Mt Gerizim that separated this group theologically and culturally from their Jewish neighbors.

The due to there inter marriage with the gentiles the Jews thought the were unclean

There was a time when the Samaritans sold the Jews into slavery

But yet when the Jews needed something they would buy from the Samaritans

The best I could find to summarize the relationship is this:

In the days of Christ, the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans was greatly strained (; ; ; ). The animosity was so great that the Jews bypassed Samaria as they traveled between Galilee and Judea. They went an extra distance through the barren land of Perea on the eastern side of the Jordan to avoid going through Samaria. Yet Jesus rebuked His disciples for their hostility to the Samaritans (), healed a Samaritan leper (), honored a Samaritan for his neighborliness (), praised a Samaritan for his gratitude (), asked a drink of a Samaritan woman (), and preached to the Samaritans (). Then in Jesus challenged His disciples to witness in Samaria. Philip, a deacon, opened a mission in Samaria ().

A small Samaritan community continues to this day to follow the traditional worship near Shechem.

Potts, D. R. (2003). Samaria, Samaritans. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (pp. 1436–1437). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

There was a time when the Samaritans sold the Jews into slavery

Let’s break down the sections of the verse:

When they first interact with each other This was not exactly a warm welcome vs. 7-8

(describe this interaction)

The woman's response to Jesus command is not exactly warm. (elaborate on this) vs. 9

vs. 10 Note that Jesus’s reply is opening the door to what He is trying to offer her

Vs

Vs.11 She is very suspicious of what Jesus is saying, but she is very smart the way she counters him.

This request really got her attention because Jews did not use the dishes of a Samaritan for they would become ceremonially unclean.

She not understanding what Jesus is talking about

When she asks about him being greater than Jacob the greek assumes a negative answer. She is challenging him

this is a way of telling Jesus that he thinks too highly of himself.

Vs. 13 Jesus explains again

Vs. 15 she becomes more interested

she still doesn’t understand

But she is becoming more interested. What does she have to loos?

describe always needing to go get water

She still doesn’t trust Jesus

Vs. 16-18 Jesus is proving to her who he is

note that he doesn’t shame her or call her out for her sin

He is simply proving to her that He is more than just an average Jew

Vs. 19 she is changing her tone here and we see her beginning to not be so apprehensive

Vs. 21-24 Jesus is informing her that all that they have believed is not accurate.

These arguments are fruit less

He is pointing out that worship can happen anywhere

And God is open to anyone even her

Vs. 25 she is engaging with him.

Notice the change in the wording

In Vs. 26 something usual happens, Jesus talks openly about who he is. He did not do this with Pharisees

Vs. 27 they are interrupted by the disciples who are shocked

Vs. 28-30 she leaves

But she gets it!

She leaves her water!

She is goes to town and spreads the good news!

And they are coming back to see Jesus

Vs. 31-38

The decibels still do not get it

He is explaining to them that salvation is open to all despite how you feel about them.

The decibels are the ones who are going to reap what they did not labor for

We Don’t Get it either

Read 2nd part of the story

But instead we act and react like the decibels did

In todays context it is us who has been charged with the responsibility of spreading the good news

But we do not pick and choose who Jesus saves!

we are the “reapers” of today how “reap what you didn’t labor for” vs.38

We reap what we did not sow vs.38

Consequence for not following this example

This is where our story from the beginning comes in.

The sad reality is today that the church is irrelevant to much of the culture.

One of the main reasons we haven’t done a good job of this.

We have acted the church members in the story.

We have acted like the Jews did

But instead we should act and react like the decibels did

Imagine what could happen if we treated people are considered “unfit” like Jesus did

In Vs.39 to the end (Read) Jesus stays 2 days with the Samarians and many become believers.

Jesus is our example of so many things but how we treat His people is the big one.

Following the resurrection He gave us The great commission:

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 16

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

16 “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

But instead we act and react like the decibels did

The sad reality is today that the church is irrelevant to much of the culture. One of the main reasons we haven’t done a good job of this. We have acted the church members in the story.

One of the ways we keep eyes on Jesus is by treating people as he demonstrated to us.

So go talk to anyone people, anyone and don’t be afraid of what other might think about you talking to them

Regardless of anything love them enough to invite them into fellowship we share with God

This example Jesus left us was extremely controversial

Jesus did