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| "And he must needs go through Samaria." |
The detailed account of the encounter with the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42) provides many precious lessons. I learned a few.
John 4:4 "And he must needs go through Samaria."
- Why? Because He has precious sheep there.
"By chance", the Lord met a lost
sheep, a woman of ill repute.
John 4:18 "For thou hast had five
husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou
truly."
Why did she come to the well at noon, of all
the hours of the day?
To avoid meeting others? Why?
But her Saviour was there
to apprehend her!
John 4:25-26 "The woman saith unto him,
I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will
tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he."
She left the scene when the disciples
returned and to tell the others the incredible encounter she had with Jesus.
John 4:41-42 "And many more believed
because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because
of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed
the Christ, the Saviour of the world."
Through this Samaritan woman, many more
besides herself believed that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the
world, i.e. of both the Jews as well as the Gentiles and those in between,
like the Samaritans!
I was reminded of these two lessons:
(i) The Lord has His sheep among the base and
despised!
- Remember this: He came to save sinners, did He not?
(ii) The Lord could use EVEN such to bear
witness, and to glorify Him!
Surely He could use a village bumpkin like me
too. Amen.
1Corinthians 1 - KJT
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that
not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of
the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the
world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things
which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to
nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his
presence.
Amen and amen.
