Crossing the Boundaries
“How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” John 4:9 NASB
How? – The Greek word pos introduces a question. This is a particularly interesting question. It contains many of the implications about communal truths that we face today.
It is a question of surprise. This woman at the well expresses shock that Yeshua would even speak to her. Why is she surprised? There are several reasons:
1) This is a “gender” issue. She was a woman. He was a man. Men do not speak to women in this culture. Especially strange men. This was a violation of protocol. Yeshua stepped over “gender” boundaries.
2) This is a “nationalism” issue. Jews and Samaritans hated each other. They had a long-standing blood feud. Centuries of animosity. Perhaps no one even remembered why they hated each other, but they knew that they did. Yeshua ignored these “national” boundaries.
3) This is an “ethnic” issue. There were significant cultural differences between Jews and Samaritans. They were from the same stock but different lines. It was a case of massive sibling rivalry. Yeshua stepped right over all these “ethnic” issues.
4) This is a “religion” issue. Between Jews and Samaritans, there were arguments about how to worship, where to worship and why to worship. There were divisions about Scripture and morals. But Yeshua crossed all these boundaries too.
5) This is “sin” issue. A sinful and humiliated Samaritan woman was not worthy to be conversing with a holy man of God. She was unworthy to be in His presence. But Yeshua removed these boundaries because He came for exactly those who are wrong, who don’t fit, who think differently, who worship another way, who are not the right sex or from the right place with the right heritage.
If we are going to follow in His footsteps, we will have to step over a lot of boundaries. “How is it that you ask me?” she said. The answer must be, “I was sent to ask.”
How about you? Are you willing to step over all the “boundaries” that keep you from answering – or asking – the question?
Topical Index: how, boundaries, John 4:9, pos
Hallelujah! What a Savior, who came to seek and to save that which was lost. (us). The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. We (all) are sinners. It doesn’t matter how we got to be this way, -this is the cold hard truth.. there is no distinction, for “all have sinned..and have fallen short (missed the mark of perfection) of the glory of God.” We just don’t “measure up,” but rather are “messed up.”. Sin has short-circuited our minds and skewed our sight. Our perspective is perverted, especially when we (falsely) believe we are the center of the known universe, or “it’s all about me.” Ergo ego, E dge G od O ut. Self or the Savior, it’s our choice.
~ He must increase, but “I” must decrease. “Self,” the final frontier.. “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” I will (confess)- agree with God and with what He says about this matter of fact, “all have sinned.” I don’t have to look very far, to acknowledge His assessment, and I come to Him, just as I am, without one plea, but that His blood was shed for me. This, too, is my story: (what do the scriptures say?) “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:” ~ Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst ~ (1 Timothy 1.15) Move over Paul, move over sinful woman, is there room for one more at the feet of Jesus? – (Hallelujah!),Yes.
For when we provide the sinner, God provides the Savior. Is this good news? (“try it..-you’ll like it!”)
Until we cry out with the blind beggar, “Yeshua, thou Son of David, have mercy on me” or pray the very short, yet effectual prayer of Peter, “LORD, save me;” until we come to Him, the Living, resurrected, yet crucified ONE and ask for His forgiveness, the gift remains available, yet unclaimed. ~ Ask and you shall receive, “Father, forgive me, for I (too) am no longer worthy to be called your son,” but when this prayer is directed to the Giver of all good gifts, our prodigal (lavish) Father will run to meet us and we will know (experientially) the forgiveness of sins. All sins,- great and small. Calvary covers it all.
Far dearer than all that the world can impart
Was the message came to my heart.
How that Jesus alone for my sin did atone,
And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all,
My past with its sin and stain;
My guilt and despair
Jesus took on Him there,
And Calvary covers it all.
The stripes that He bore and the thorns that He wore
Told His mercy and Love evermore
And my heart bowed in shame as I called on His Name,
And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all,
My past with its sin and stain;
My guilt and despair
Jesus took on Him there,
And Calvary covers it all.
How matchless the grace, when I looked in the face
Of this Jesus, my crucified LORD;
My redemption complete I then found at His feet,
And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all,
My past with its sin and stain;
My guilt and despair
Jesus took on Him there,
And Calvary covers it all.
How blessed the thought, that my soul by Him bought,
Shall be His in the glory on high;
Where with gladness and song, I’ll be one of the throng
And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all,
My past with its sin and stain;
My guilt and despair
Jesus took on Him there,
And Calvary covers it all.
(Mrs. Walter G. Taylor, 1934)
As the young people would say.. “this is where it’s at!” Or the older ones, “location, location, location.” Where is this place of blessing? -“bow the knee..” ~ Believe on the LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ, and you (too) will be saved ~ Are these my words? No. These are God’s words written in God’s Book, our Bible.
Two thieves were crucified alongside our Messiah on that Day. One to the left and one to the right. (Have we forgotten this?). Truth died on Calvary’s tree, but as we now know,- you just “can’t keep a good Man down”, and three days later, SomeOne became the firstfruits of them that slept. The stone was rolled away and SomeOne walked out of that tomb. SomeOne defeated Death. SomeOne defeated the grave. SomeOne defeated hasatan. SomeOne (now) has the keys of Death and of Hell. Is there more??
~ Abraham said to him, “if they will not hear Moses and The Prophets, they will not believe him, even though a man would rise from the dead.” ~ (Luke 16.31) Uhh.. uhhh.. excuse me? Is this one of those “selah” moments? ~ what do the scriptures say? ~ if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins ~ (1 Corinthians 15.17)
~ Therefore let all the house of Israel know most certainly, that God hath made both LORD and Christ, this same Jesus, whom you have crucified ~ (Acts 2.36)
But not to worry, Israel: for “all have sinned..” ~ What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. ~ (Romans 3:9)
Neither is it the “amount” of sin, it is the fact of sin. (once again)- “all have sinned.” ~ that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God ~ (Romans 3.19)
For salvation, for deliverance.. ‘sinners only’ need apply, for what does Him who is the Living Word say?
~ He said unto them, (and to us) they that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance ~ It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick ~
Salvation is available (it is a gift), but we must (all) avail ourselves of it, and sinners only need apply. We supply the sinner, God supplies the Savior, we are transformed from a sinner to a saint; for what is a saint, but a saved sinner?
The Doctor says I have a cancer. Is this good news or bad news? – Yes. -it is. (both). When a cure known to be effective is available, what must I do to be saved? Avail myself of the cure! ~ what do the scriptures say? ~ If we confess our sins.. (say the same thing concerning sin the Living Word of God says, – agree with Him) He is (ever) Faithful and Just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ~ (1 John 1.9) – What was the (prodigal) Father’s response to His repentant son? – the Father ran to meet him! Father and son reconciled, right-relationship restored!
Abraham, since God has provided Himself a Lamb, why do they willingly choose- not to believe?
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Power and beauty of amazing grace — He came for the individuals of the whole world.
http://youtu.be/zbfERH0rev0
the same stock but different lines, the answer to that is versicules ahead when she said you’re the mashiaj
I can’t pass up offering this movie [they talk about Torah sometimes], also has the usual Holly/Golly/Wood scenes in it.
Title: Cast a Giant Shadow
. . . a fictionalized account of the experiences of a real-life Jewish-American military officer, Colonel David “Mickey” Marcus, who commanded units of the fledgling Israel Defense Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jCWegQseTk&feature=share&list=PLF4C1BD687FC15A31
Defense Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
Hi Dorothy,
Thanks for sharing the movie above, it brought back many memories of my youth
Because I was born in 48 and a senior in High School in 66, Cast a Giant Shadow reflects
What I would call the dominant American ideology during the first stage of my life
On the one hand, we have these very attractive “heroes”
Played by Kirk Douglas (David Marcus), John Wayne, Angie Dickinson, and Senta Berger (Magda)
But on the other hand, the movie takes place in a war zone
That is filled with violence and bad behavior, which results in death and broken relationships
But the movie seems to endorse this behavior, because it is all for a good cause
The historical subtext is the Vietnam war, which was about as comprehensible for most of us
As the Israelis having been removed from their homeland
In Europe, 68 was the “watershed” year, when the cultural revolution began with student revolts
And in, 67 we had the Monterey Pop Festival, the peace, the love, the pot, and long hair
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_Pop_Festival
I guess my point is that in my generation there is much less agreement about the military
Most of the people I know think going into Iraq was not a good thing
And that going into Afghanistan was an incredibly stupid waste of money and lives
Now we have Iran on the “front burner” and I can hear “it’s all over now baby blue”
Ringing in my ears
Think of the boundaries that were crossed when God became a Man. From Infinite to finite and then from a cradle to a criminal’s cross, from a lowly manger to Highest Majesty. I can’t ‘handle it’ or comprehend it- this is way out of my league, why, or how the Creator became the creature. This, to me, is much more of a surprise than for a Jew to be seen with or associate with a Samaritan. (recalling the story of the Good Samaritan!- is there any such thing as a “good” Samaritan?) And as I remember, didn’t this carpenter’s son associate with sinners, and the outcasts, – those snubbed by society? (rejects, really..) ~ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die, but God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us ~ (Romans 5.7,8) And did He not say, ~ I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance ~ It seems, “sinners only” are welcome. ~ if we confess our sins, He is Faithful and Just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ~ (1 John 1.9) Does Christ have the authority to forgive sins? If we were to ask His forgiveness, would He reject us and turn us away? Is tHis invitation for us? “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow, though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” (Isaiah 1.18) What is it like to be forgiven? to be clean? to have a new name and a new identity? a clean slate? a bright future? (one that is as bright as the promises of God?) to experience the intimacy Adam once knew in the garden? to know God is your Father? and Christ is your elder Brother? to know you are in a family that is a “forever?” Is there more?? This list goes on!!.. This is surely, the Gift that keeps on giving!