“Jesus had to go through Samaria” (John 4:4).
Let me explain why this matters.
The Jews and Samaritans disliked each other. It all went back to 722 B.C. when the Assyrians conquered Israel and took the northern ten tribes into captivity. They brought in Gentiles from other areas to settle in that same region. Eventually, those Gentiles, with their pagan ways, intermarried with the Jews who had been left behind. Over the generations, they developed their own religion and eventually, they built their own temple.
When Jesus prepared to travel from Judea (in the south) to Galilee (to the north), he had a dilemma. The most direct route would take him through Samaria, but this was the last place a Jew would normally go. Samaritans hated the Jews and Jews hated the Samaritans.
So why did Jesus have to go through Samaria? It was simple. He knew that on this route he would encounter a woman at Jacob’s well, who was in desperate need to know the Savior.
Recovery Step: Do you find yourself in Samaria today? Don’t fight it. Accept your form of Samaria as a part of God’s overarching plan for your life.
