You Can’t Go Into All The World Until You Have Gone To Samaria
You Can’t Go Into All The World Until You’ve Gone To Samaria
by Pastor Joseph Krygier
A very compelling statement is made at the beginning of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John: “He must needs go to Samaria.” Must needs reverberates that he is forced to go there.
What caused Jesus to be so intensely concerned about the half breed Samaritans? No righteous Jew would have any concern for the Samaritans, except to have no contact with the mongrel dogs.
The Samaritans were an ethnic people born during the Babylonian captivity of the northern Kingdom of Israel.
The Babylonians were expert in subduing every form of nationalism or ethnic pride in the people they conquered. One of their most ingenious devices was to carry away captives of a conquered people and leave only a remnant behind. Then, the Babylonian colonists brought other people groups from their empire to live in the newly conquered land. This was done by Shalmaneser in Israel (II Chronicles 30:6, 10; 34:9).
One of the results was cross cultural marriages that led to biculturization: one culture being joined with another and forming a new culture. The Samaritans were a “biracial” people as a result of “interracial” marriage.
As Jesus approaches the Samaritan city of Sychar, knowing all of these facts, the disciples go on to the city to buy food. He rests at Jacob’s Well. This historic site is soon to be the stage for an epoch making encounter.
Jesus confounds all Jewish tradition as He evangelizes a Samaritan woman.
It is 12:00 P.M. Roman time. He engages her in public conversation, He asks for a drink of water. She is confused. “Racial” prejudice was also exercised by Samaritans. Were there JEWS ONLY and SAMARITANS ONLY signs that adorned Jacob’s well? During their conversation, He reveals Himself to be the Messiah and she admits that she has been seeking Him.
The disciples return seeing them together, wondering what is occurring.
“It may have been necessary for us to go to Samaria; but to make contact with a Samaritan, and a woman besides, and in public and in daylight! What is He doing?” We do not know what they wondered. They said nothing, they did nothing.
The woman leaves her waterpot and goes into the city to tell the men that she has met the Messiah.
Before she returns, Jesus admonishes the disciples to lift up their eyes “and look on the fields; for they are white already unto harvest. One sows, another reaps.” God’s elect are everywhere, even in Samaria.
Many believed the woman’s testimony. They knew of her ungodly life and she told them that Jesus knew all about her and shared His rebuke of her sin. She returned to Jacob’s Well with those she witnessed to. They begged Jesus to remain. He did and many more believed because of His words. As good as her testimony was, they heard for themselves the words of the Savior of all who would believe.
God’s saving grace is not, nor ever was, exclusive to any particular people group. The Father has given His Son, The Anointed One, The Christ, “the heathen for His inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession” (Psalm 2:7,8)
Enoch walked with God. Noah preached salvation to a people immersed in sin, who would soon be drowned in water because of sin. Abram, a Chaldean pagan, was justified by his faith in the promises of God’s word. The entire tri city metroplex of Nineveh was saved in the greatest evangelistic campaign recorded in the Bible. A Canaanitess, named Rahab, became the great great grandmother of King David. A Roman centurion believed in the authority of Christ. An Ethiopian was evangelized and baptized by a Hellenistic Jewish Christian and an African named Simeon was a leader in the church at Antioch. These were all Gentiles.
It was not inconsequential for Jesus, Messiah of Israel and Savior of the Gentiles, to go to Samaria.
Jesus makes specific mention of Samaria in His final commission to the disciples on top of Mt. Olivet just before He ascends to His heavenly throne. His message to the one hundred and twenty disciples is just as significant as His journey to Samaria. Going to Samaria is now a prerequisite for going to all the Gentile nations. Samaria is no longer a forbidden zone.
Jesus’ commission on Mt. Olivet must be harmonized with the Gospels to clearly understand the full impact of what we call the Great Commission. We must see that we cannot go into all the world until we have gone to Samaria.
What we acknowledge as the Great Commission is stated in four different passages of Scripture (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk.16:15; Lk.24:46-49; Acts 1:8).
Each passage is a component of the Commission in its entirety. This Commission was entrusted to His church until He returns: we are included.
Harmonized, the Great Commission could read like this: As you come and go in the daily course of your life (a habit), preach the Gospel (a command) and make disciples ( a command). Physically baptize these disciples as a requirement for initiation into my physical church and continue to teach them all that is necessary for them to become mature disciples. As you are continually doing this, systematically begin to do the same thing not only in Jerusalem, but in Judea as well. But you must go to Samaria before you go to the rest of the world.
Remember what Samaria means to these Jewish Christians. Samaria is a cultural and “racial” barrier. Prejudice is synonomous with the word.
I can relate to that. When I was first saved, all of my societal and cultural prejudices did not disappear overnight. But, as I studied the Word of God and allowed Christ who lives in me to live through me, I adapted to a Christian world view and mind set. I began to see the world through the lens of the Bible and began to interpret the events of the world according to Biblical truth.
These Jewish Christians would eventually come to the same knowledge.
Preaching in Jerusalem and Judea was good discipline.The church needed a base of operations. The Gospel was to be declared to the Jew first because it answered the questions of their historically unrealized faith and practices. Disciple making in the context of Jewish culture, even under the occupation of a Roman dictatorship, would help them to understand the purposes of fellowship, worship, ministry, and discipleship/evangelism.
Ultimately, many would have to leave their “racially” homogenous (of one kind) first church in Jerusalem and their broader geocultural comfort zone, Judea. The racial and cultural barriers would have to be removed.
The first generation church would have to do what many of our so called “church growth experts” have failed to advocate. Contrary to what the current church growth “birds of a feather flock together and therefore builds the most effective church” theorists promote, Jesus said to “make disciples of all nations” (people groups). He did not say, “Do this by default through a mission board”.
He told them to be intentional in going beyond Jerusalem and Judea. He told them to be intentional about crossing racial and cultural boundaries.
In a multicultural society, Samaria may literally be only a few steps away from our church or home door. Others may have to go to the next block, or the other side of town, or further into the county, to another city or even across the state border. We must go..
It is incumbent on all Christians in the course of our daily living to intentionally seek to make disciples of all people groups. It is equally incumbent for our churches. Many of our churches believe they are fulfilling the Great Commission, but they are not because they detour when approaching Samaria. But, these Christians will come into the city for sports events and various forms of entertainment, even if it means going through one of “those neighborhoods”.
Being white, I have heard the comments too many times from family and others, “When are you going to get out of there?” “Oh, you live there!” “How many more times do you need to have your house broken into before you get out?” “Are you waiting to get beaten up again?” “For what?”
The attitude in some of of our innner city churches are no better. We know a class war exists within segments of the Afro American community. They have alienated a whole segment of their culture from the church by not effectively reaching out to those around them. They have adopted a siege mentality in their own communities. “The church is for the churched, we don’t want those kind here”. “Hip hoppers and gangbangers are unredeemable.” “It’s not worth the effort.” This was the similar attitude of the typical white suburban church during the hippie movement in the late sixties and early seventies.
Preaching to those in the various sub cultures of our society is significant in the Samaritan context. They are different. They have a different world view. Many of them hold racist views like the Skinheads and New Black Panther Party. How do we reach them with a reconciliation message?
Your church may not be strategically located to engage in cross cultural ministry that will integrate your church. However, you can seek a relationship with a sister church where you can go and serve in a cross cultural context and they with you and it can be effective. Effective in spreading the Gospel and effective in modeling racial reconciliation.
The church you choose may be multi cultural or it may be ethnic. Either way, the message is the same. Jesus has broken down the wall of separation between us (Jew and all others) and we are reconciled by His blood and in Him become “one new people.”
It is not unreasonable to imagine that this kind of relationship building within the body of Christ could lead to some churches actually releasing members to the sister church and making the travel, financial or whatever kind of sacrifice is needed to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ in our “racist” society.
This does not have to accommodate Ecumenism or doctrinal compromise. As Dr. Charles Ware says, “We must advocate racial reconciliation, rooted in redemption, guided by revelation.”
Jesus has broken down the wall of separation and in Christ there can be no segregation. You must go to Samaria before you can go into all of the world.
This is not easily achieved. The two predominant “races” in America each share the guilt of unhealthy centrism. Whether it be Eurocentric whites or Afrocentric blacks or their extremist counterparts the KKK and Nation of Islam- racism is destructive.
Even more reprehensible is the reflection of racism in Christ’s body, the church. Whether it is unintentional or intentional: both exist in the body of Christ. It endures in our homes, it survives in our churches and persists in our organizations. It is evident in our Christian schools and Bible Colleges and worst of all, in our mission boards. How ironic that the agencies that heartily promote cross cultural ministry are usually segregated at the board and upper leadership levels. This is a travesty of the worst sort.
There is Biblical precedent for these concerns, as well as Biblical answers.
The body of believers in Jerusalem was “racially” homogenous (of one kind) yet multicultural. The first body of Christ’s church was comprised of sixteen different Jewish groups. Ethnically, they were of the same “race” (Semites), of the same ancestry (Abraham) and of the same religion (Judaism): at Pentecost many became Christians. Culturally, there were ethno graphic variables: sixteen different countries and languages. There were demographic variables: age and gender. There were also status variables: education and socioeconomic background.
The language variable (Acts 1:4-13) was the first tool for God’s sovereign purposes. These ethnic Jews heard the language of their cultures being spoken by Judean Jews who, under normal circumstances, would not have known their languages. At first they perceived the Judeans to be drunk, but soon realized they were speaking the languages of the Jewish pilgrims who ventured to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost.
Peter began to preach salvation in Christ Jesus and three thousand of them repented, believed and were baptized and became a mutli ethnic Christian congregation. This church grew spiritually and numerically and practiced fellowship, worship, ministry and discipleship/evangelism: not in any order but as a continuous expression of their lifestyle.
They were a glowing, growing, going and God glorifying church. They took into account the socio-economic status of their membership and “had all things in common (as was needed) and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all as every one had need” (Acts. 4:45). They learned service and sacrifice.
During this time of God ordained growth, I wonder how often they remembered the words “ye shall be my witnesses...in Judea, in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
This new people group, one in Christ, eventually faced an inner conflict, a body hurt that could have grown to a critical life threatening stage. This spiritual cancer was a form of ethnic segregation.
All of the ethnic Jews that made up the Jerusalem congregation could be divided into two generalized classifications: Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews or Grecians and Hebrews. Those who were influenced by Greek culture and lived outside of Israel were called Hellenistic. Those who lived in Israel and whose culture was not Greek influenced were the Hebraic Jews. The Grecian widows were not being properly ministered to and the church needed to reevaluate its serving one another. The twelve apostles were not about to engage in this daily ministry so they called the church together to address this point of tension. Godly leadership always takes measures to bring about reconciliation in the congregation. The leadership provided a solution.
Seven men were to be chosen, by the congregation, to oversee this daily ministry. The men had to be proven: honest in character, Christlike and wise. The apostles needed to continue in prayer and the ministry of the word.
Seven men were chosen and the apostles approved them. All of these servants were Grecians. They would have the responsibility of the daily ministering to these and all the other widows. Those who were of the group that suffered discrimination would be even more sensitive not to discriminate.
Discrimination in the church? “Brother Joe, isn’t that an exaggeration of what was occurring?” “No.” One group was deliberately neglected because of who they were. Remember, Hebrew pride remained an issue in the church until Acts 15, when Paul confronts Peter at the Jerusalem council about the enforced enculturation of the Gentile Christians.
Leadership in this multi ethnic congregation was essential to the reconciliation process. Reconciliation occured as a direct result of God enabled leadership being sensitive to the needs of all. God enabled leadership empowered and equipped the congregation to embrace the principle of reconciliation. Everybody had an active part.
The result of this reconciliation was that the Word of God, which was going forth, INCREASED, and the numbers of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly and even many Jewish priests were obedient to the fatih.
But who was remembering “... in Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth?”
The road to Samaria would soon be well travelled. It would take the blood of a martyr for the church to begin to extend its work into Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world.
God’s sovereign purposes will not be thwarted by the disobedience or negligience of His people. This precept is well established throughout the history of Israel. The Jerusalem church was ready to learn this lesson.
As Stephen, one of the seven ministers of reconcilitation, was preaching the word and doing great wonders and miracles among the people, the momentum was gathering for the great moving forward of the church into Judea, Samaria and beyond.
Some of the leaders of the Synagogue began to argue with him, but were not successful in the debate. They stirred up the elders and scribes and the people and brought him to trial for blasphemy. They accused him and brought false witnesses against him.
Stephen’s defense was a reciting, (Acts 7:1-53), about the privileges of the nation of Israel and their rejection of God’s messengers, including Jesus. His accusers were cut to the depth of their hearts because of the truth. Their hatred seethed against him in light of the truth. Their loathing of the truth erupted like a volcano. They cried out with loud voices and covered their ears and then, all in agreement, the mob attacked Stephen, and cast him out of the city and stoned him to death.
As Tertullian wrote, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
The moderate persecution the church had experienced up to this time turned to violent persecution, lead by Saul of Tarsus, who created havoc for the church and which scattered the church throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.
Judea and Samaria are finally reached with the Gospel as a result of God ordained persecution of the church The evangelistic catylyst was persecution. “Therefore, they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:4). Then Philip went to the city of Samaria, then called Sebaste, in Samaria, and many gave heed to the Word of God and there was great joy in that city.
Joy in a city? “Cities are the center of wickedness beyond imagination.” “The city is where they live .” “They are all on welfare and drugs.” “They are sex crazed and illiterate.” “Hip hop and gettin game is all they care about.” On the other side of town they all have souped up cars and they can’t even speak American.”
What will it take for us to go to Samaria?
Friday, February 9, 2007
