So excited to be joined by fellow lover of words and the Word Karla Lees for this week’s Word Nerd Wednesday post on who a Samaritan is. If you think you know, hold on to your seats because she is going to take it to a whole new level!
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Samaritan
A mix of peoples transplanted from their homes by the king of Assyria into Samaria (http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/samaritans/) who according to their claims and proven via DNA intermarried with the Jewish peoples of that time. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritans)
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But what does the name “Samaritan” actually mean, besides someone who resides in Samaria?
In the Hebrew, שומרונים means “Guardians/Keepers/Watchers (of the Torah)” - which was not at all what I expected, given how they were usually treated by their closest neighbors, the Jewish people. Outsiders in their day. Put down for their beliefs, tolerated at the very most, usually publicly shunned or ridiculed.
In searching the Bible for verses related to Samaritans, I found it interesting that most of the detailed discussion about them in the New Testament. One main verse in the Old Testament, 2 Kings 17:29, mentions how the Samaritans had made high places and built shrines in every place they lived. As their name suggests (keepers of the Torah) they should have know better. However, they followed the example of the Jewish people by also straying from the Lord, as they did upon being set free from Egypt.
At The Well
One of the most significant encounters Jesus had with a Samaritan occurred in John 4. Jesus is sitting at a well, an obvious Jew, and was approached by a Samaritan woman coming to get water at a time when she would usually be alone.
Jesus asks her for a drink, completely against the norms of their time (rabbis didn’t teach women, let alone meet one and talk with one!) which leads to a conversation which not only draws her into the Kingdom, but many others come to believe in Jesus as Messiah as well (John 4:39-41).
Had Jesus not asked her for that drink, that Samaritan woman would never have invited her neighbors to come meet Jesus. And they might not have entered His Kingdom over those following two days.
Jesus didn’t let the label of Samaritan stand in His way. Nor does He let any other label, circumstance or situation hinder His desire to connect with His children. This is clearly seen in His parable about the Good Samaritan, which shows how Jesus values compassion and character over position and power (Luke 10:30-37).
We too were designed to follow our Maker, and have at times allowed labels to both shape us and how we seen one another, at the expense of losing sight of how He sees us. Jesus’ use of compassion over the traditional tool of rejection towards the Samaritans demonstrates His character loud and clear. He came for us all, despite our backgrounds.
Restoration
God is in the business of restoration. And those Samaritans who chose to follow Him? They literally became the Guardians, Keepers and Watchers of the Living Word, not just the Torah! How amazing it is that God chooses to invite all His children throughout the world, regardless of ethnicity, social or financial status - even those most ridiculed in His neighborhood in His day- the Samaritans.
Samaritan is a label, but Jesus didn't allow labels to stand in the way of His work. #wordnerdwednesday @HopenHisPresenz Click To Tweet
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Karla is a curly haired bespectacled Canadian gal who fell in love with both words and music at a very young age. Coming to know the Lord as a young adult, she dove into studying the Word at Tyndale University College before marrying her husband. Mom of two adult children and two young cats, Karla works in administration and social media. You can most often find her singing, reading, enjoying a freshly brewed coffee with friends, blogging at hopeinHisPresence.com or chatting in the Remade Community Facebook group, where she shares what He is putting on her heart each Wednesday. She’d love to connect with you on Twitter, Facebook &/or Instagram: @HopenHisPresenz.
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Linking Up With
For more encouragement please join the discussions on these fabulous blog link ups – Suzanne Eller, Thought Provoking Thursday, Susan B. Mead, Faith Filled Friday, Grace and Truth, Faith and Fellowship Friday, Grace and Truth Friday, Good Morning Monday, Soul Survival, Monday Musings, Rah Rah Link Up, Tell His Story, Woman to Woman Wednesday, Women With Intention Wednesday, Sitting Among Friends, Testimony Tuesday, Planting Roots, and Fresh Market Friday.
Thanks, Karla.