Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. John 4:1-4
This is a new year and it’s also the first day of the rest of your life.
Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22
Just as the Samaritan woman was not consumed because of the LORD’S mercies, we are not consumed either. We don’t get what we deserve. That’s what grace is. That’s why we can go to Him each and every day…because His compassions don’t fail us; ever. He truly cares about you and me.
Even though it is a new year and we’re supposed to be all happy and such, you may be thinking, “Lord, have mercy on me.” Here is this Samaritan woman at the well who is despised and evidently having a great deal of problems in her life. She’s had 5 husbands and the one she’s living with now she isn’t married to him. She goes to draw water from the well in the heat of the day because she is an outcast, a sinner and no doubt, without respect. Maybe you haven’t had 5 husbands, but maybe you can identify with the pain of rejection, being an outcast, full of shame, anger, fear and a multitude of negative emotions.
Our story begins when Jesus leaves Jerusalem because it is not His time for confrontation with the Pharisees (the Jewish rulers and leaders). The Jews and the Samaritans hated each other. The Samaritans were considered half-breeds (1/2 Jewish, 1/2 Gentile), with a polluted form of religion. Part of the prejudices consisted of forbidding conversation between men and women in public, and any conversation at all between Jews and Samaritans.
Again, can you identify with prejudice? Not always the color of the skin, but what kind of education do you have; how smart or intelligent are you; what type of background do you have? I remember people looking at me as if I had a third eye when I would tell them about my emotional illnesses, suicide attempts and trips to mental hospitals.
The typical Jewish Rabbi would rather go thirsty and walk out of the way just to avoid going through Samaria than violate these customs. That may be what the typical Jewish Rabbi would do, but not our Lord. He leaves Judea and heads straight for the shortest distance to Galilee, which is through Samaria.
Luke 2:49 tells us that Jesus must be about His Father’s business. Don’t you know that you are the Father’s business? We all have questions when it comes to God’s love. Does He really love me? Why does He love me, why? Meditate on the Scriptures below and let the answer to your questions penetrate deep within your soul. Allow the Holy Spirit to comfort, console and convince you of the Love God has for you:
Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the proud have risen against me, And a mob of violent men have sought my life, And have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your maidservant. Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. Psalms 86:11-17
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Psalms 103:10-12
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