Sabbath: The Testimony of the Samaritans
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 26th of October 2024
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: John 4:1-42, John 3:26-30, Jeremiah 2:13, Zechariah 14:8, Ezekiel 36:25-27.
Memory Text:
“Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world’ ” (John 4:42, NKJV).
Who were the Samaritans? The northern kingdom of Israel had been taken captive by the Assyrians in 722 b.c. To create political stability, the Assyrians dispersed their captives throughout their empire. Likewise, captives from other nations were brought to populate the northern kingdom, and these became the Samaritans, who practiced their own form of Judaism.
Relations, however, were not good between them and the Jews. For instance, the Samaritans worked against the rebuilding of the temple at the return of the Jews from Babylon. The Samaritans, meanwhile, had built their own temple, on Mount Gerizim. But this temple was destroyed by the Jewish ruler John Hyrcanus in 128 b.c.
At the time of Christ, this animosity continued. The Jews avoided Samaria as much as possible. Though commerce may have gone on, other interaction was taboo. The Jews would not borrow from Samaritans or even receive a favor from them. Within this context, John recounts the encounter between Jesus, the woman at the well, and the people of the Samaritan city of Sychar.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 2.
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When we think of "them and us", we need to remember that Jesus interacted with the Samaritans, the "them" of the Jewish people in his time. It is worth remembering that every time we draw a line between "them" and "us", Jesus is on the other side of that line. (that is not an original thought but I have run out of time to find who said it first! Found it: Nadia Bolz-Weber)
The Samaritans found in Jesus (a Jew) a man (a person) whose message transcended nationality, tribe, race, language, gender or any other social considerations. The Samaritans confessed Jesus as “indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world” (John 4:42, NKJV). Jesus’s attitude towards inclusivity to say the least is truly sweet, lovely and comforting. I write as one who has experienced at first hand the terrible impact of discrimination. I also write as one who has truly been set free by the love of God to experience the joy of salvation. There is too much pain in the world today caused by prejudice against certain nationalities, tribes, races, languages, genders, and other social factors. Like the Pharisees of the old, unfortunately, in some instances, the worst forms of prejudices are perpetuated by those who claim to practice Christianity.
The power in the salvation of Jesus Christ to set us free from our prejudices against our fellow human beings is the most sweetest freedom. Jesus gave the Samaritans the power to love their enemies. The joy of the Samaritans to feel, to know and to understand that the Jews were their true brothers and sisters in Christ was beyond human limitation. This is the power which is only found in the salvation of Jesus. The Samaritans were not merely accepting another religion, but the power to overcome national and racial prejudice.
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus made the despised Samaritan an example of godly love, thereby emphasizing that true neighbourly love is inclusive, not limited by ethnicity or social status. This parable illustrates that salvation’s call to love transcends all social and ethnic boundaries. Jesus’ attitude toward the Samaritans reveals his commitment to the universal nature of his message—one of salvation, love, and compassion for all people, regardless of their background. Through these encounters, Jesus demonstrated that God’s kingdom was open to everyone, calling his followers to adopt the same inclusive, merciful attitude. Jesus’s approach must challenge our attitude towards our fellow human beings.
What was the cause of the riffles between the Jews and the Samaritans?
See the introduction to this weeks lesson. Our fall in Eden and the entrance of sin into this world underscores all hatred and disfunction we see in our society.
The Jews considered Samaritans to be Jewish half-breeds who intermarried with the pagan people of the land, adopted idolatrous customs, and set up their own temple. The Samaritans received only the five books of Moses and rejected the writings of the prophets and all the Jewish traditions. They were named as outcasts and unclean. Some even said that Samaritans possessed demons (John 8:48).
A commentary says that the animosity can be traced back to, “When the ten tribes were carried away into captivity to Assyria, the king of Assyria sent people from Cutha, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to inhabit Samaria (2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2-11). These foreigners intermarried with the Israelite population that was still in and around Samaria.” Then, after the Jewish return from Babylon, while “Nehemiah was engaged in building the walls of Jerusalem, the Samaritans vigorously attempted to halt the undertaking (Nehemiah 6:1-14). Also, Samaria became a place of refuge for all the outlaws of Judea (Joshua 20:6-7; 21:21). The Samaritans willingly received Jewish criminals and refugees from justice. The violators of the Jewish laws, and those who had been excommunicated, found safety for themselves in Samaria, greatly increasing the hatred which existed between the two nations.”
We encounter Jesus standing firmly grounded by His Faith and Love for the Father in the middle of the raging waters of this world. Nothing discourages Him from reaching out to anyone – friend or foe - to share the healing words of Life. At every occasion, under all circumstances, He points to the Living Water and the Bread from Heaven which quench all thirst and hunger for forgiveness and righteousness.
There is no other way available to man to partake of heaven’s glory than to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Only in Jesus resides the presence of the Father - His Resurrection Power - His Glory and Mercy; in Him, all are equally blessed and forgiven. All humanity is invited to believe and to partake of heaven’s mana - no one will be rejected - Acts 10:34.
Some see in the Bible favoritism by God for Hebrew people. And it might seem like that if we lift stories out of context. But if we look at God‘s heart shown through the whole Bible, it’s very clear that God has never limited his transformative love to one group of people.
First of all, ethnicities arose because people were self-centered, trying to lift themselves up above God at the Tower of Babel. Then when God scattered them, they turned that energy into self-centered lifting themselves up against each other. Language barriers provided natural excuses for animosities and tribal alliances. The human race has always been one race, and if people were united in making a name for God rather than for themselves, no competition for supremacy would ever exist.
Secondly , God gifted Israel with a special calling to be a holy nation to bless all of the earth and demonstrate what a relationship with God is really like (Gen. 12:2). However, non-Israelites were always welcome by God to join in the worship of Himself, the true God (Ex. 12:38; Num. 15:14-16; 1 Kings 8:41-43; Is. 56:6-7; Matt. 28:19). We see in these verses, Solomon talking about people from other nations coming to worship at the Temple. And Jesus commissioning His 12 Jewish disciples to go to all nations in all the world to make disciples of all peoples.
The Scriptures are full of examples , in both the Old Testament and New Testament, of Gentiles who were sought after by God and used by Him for His own saving purposes. In the OT, I’m thinking of Rahab, Ruth, the widow of Zarepheth, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyprus, Naman, the Ninevites. In the NT, there’s Cornelius, the Magi, the Ethiopian eunuch, Lydia, the Philippian jailer. I’m sure you can think of others too…
In Acts 17:26-27, Paul in his sermon to the men of Athens states: "From one man he made all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries, so that they would seek God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us."
And lastly, in the story that Jesus told of the good Samaritan, that Samaritan demonstrated the kind of person Jesus came into the world to create. … while the Jewish religious leaders in the story did not demonstrate God’s heart. The two that passed the needy man by were the ones most rigorously caught up in church work …the priest serves in the temple, and the Levite assists the priests.… the ones chosen to lead the people in worship and religious acts. It takes a very close walk with Jesus to not let these sacred roles go to one’s head. It takes drinking from the living water to be able to share the living water. So Jesus demonstrates for us that in His own mission… and of course, there could be no higher religious role than Jesus’ mission coming from Heaven to Earth… He did not rank and grade humans according to status. He made Himself a servant. And He played no favorites. Jesus love for the Father was the source of His compassion and love for all humanity. Jesus lived by the motto “it is better to give (honor and grace and mercy) than to receive (honor and grace and mercy)” Acts 20:35
Into Samaria? Yes!
Your own community may not except you. Christ's did not. So He went elsewhere. Well I don't believe that was the real reason Christ ministered to the Samaritians. He was setting the example of go ye into all the world. Well at least what He could acomplish in 3 years. What I am saying He paved the way for us.
When I was in collage we had the privilege of having Elder Quinby in our community. I was fortunate to have been over to his house and listen to His missionary stories of his China experience. That was before the CCP won the Chinese Civil War. He and his gracious wife had to come back stateside in 1949. He wrote a book on The American(SDA Missionary)On The Yangtze. I am sure some of you may have read it.
Yes we are fulfilling Christ example and commission as Seventh-day Adventists which has reached all corners of the earth. Maurice is reaching Austrian's, Inge is reaching Canadian's. I and our district are reaching a portion of the Heartland of America. It is getting close for the time for the Lord to come and take us somewhere near the Orion Nebulious I much rather go safely with Christ and His Angels than with one of Elon Musks ion engine powered machines. I believe we will take only 7 days with a stop over on a planet to rest on the Seventh-day-Sabbath and then on to landing on the Sea of Glass. Our home for 1,000 years. Far fetched? I do not believe so.
The Power of Personal Testimony
The Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus transformed her from an outcast to a bold witness. Despite her broken past, she immediately ran to her community, saying, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did” (John 4:29). This reminds us that God can use anyone—regardless of their background or mistakes—as a vessel to proclaim His love. Our personal experiences with God carry authenticity and can spark faith in others, often more powerfully than mere doctrine or tradition.
Witnesses Lead Others to Encounter Christ Directly
The Samaritan woman's testimony drew many from her village to meet Jesus for themselves, and they eventually declared, “Now we believe, not just because of what you said, but because we have heard him ourselves” (John 4:42). This shows us that the role of a witness is not to convert others by persuasion but to lead them toward their own personal encounter with Christ. True faith grows when people move beyond secondhand knowledge and experience God’s presence firsthand.
Many times, we draw a line between what we believe is right and what is truly right. Sometimes, we’re just playing “church” — arguing over which church has the right acts, traditions, and interpretations of the Bible. The true “reason” isn’t in where we worship, in cultural purity, or in having the right temple, but in the attitude of the heart. Jesus taught that God seeks worshipers who will worship Him in “spirit and truth” (John 4:23), regardless of physical place or cultural divisions.
Religious sectarianism, I daresay, has ever been woven into the fabric of our history, from the ancient days of Israel to the assemblies of Corinth, and onward through the generations until the final coming of Christ. The Corinthians, a people rife with promise yet tangled in pride, found themselves fragmenting under the names of those who taught them. Each clique fastened its identity to a different voice—Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or even Christ Himself. But as Paul gently reproved them, he declared, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?" (1 Corinthians 1:13). He urged them to grasp that the gospel is no tool of rivalry; rather, it is the all-encompassing embrace of God’s unity, given to reconcile and not to sever.
Paul, with remarkable wisdom, brings them back to the source. He reminds them that God’s calling does not come to the mighty, nor to the wise of the flesh, nor to the noble. Instead, it is the so-called foolish things, the weak, the despised, which God has chosen to confound the powerful. Here lies a deep truth: by calling the humble and the lowly, God puts to shame human arrogance, so that “no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29). And thus, in Christ, we are granted wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption—none of our own boasting, but all of His mercy and grace.
Whether we name ourselves Jew, Gentile, Samaritan, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baptist, or another, these labels pale before the astonishing fact that we all bear the image of God. We are dust given life by His breath, utterly dependent on the grace of Jesus Christ. And like children fumbling in the dark, we are reminded that true enlightenment comes not from any doctrine we divide ourselves by, but from humility before God.
Perhaps, as the Christian vocalist Lauren Daigle declares (in her song: Here's My Heart Lord), we are to come to the Lord in sincerity: “I am Yours...Here’s my heart, Lord...Speak what is true.” These are words of submission, an anthem for a soul recognizing its need. For indeed, before the Most High, let us not arrive as Jews or Gentiles, Samaritans or Greeks, but as children, bearing only the honest plea: "I am Yours."
Sorry to say, Lauren Daigle is not a Christian… I will not listen to her “music” personally… js
I do not know Lauren Daigle but from the descriptions I have found online, she identifies herself and is identified by others as a Christian singer. To assert that she is not a Christian is making a judgment that only God can make, unless the evidence is so abundant that anyone would come to the same conclusion. We need to remember that just because she believes or sings differently to us doesn't make her not a Christian.
Jesus said:
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matt 7:1,2KJV
Jonah reluctant testimony change a nation. Much more to dedicated intentional committment of living a life of witness to others of Christ. We must not neglect. Eternity will tell of our strength; our faithfulness and the power of our witness here.
I give thanks to my fellow saints on this platform, for I now understand that the gospel that Christ had was not for the Jews alone nor the Samaritans but was for inclusivity, and he can use the least amongst us to pass the gospel of transformation to entire village like the Samaritan woman,come see Aman who has to told me whom I am