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Jesus crosses cultural boundaries

Jesus “left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And He had to pass through Samaria.” (John 4:3-4) 

In Jesus’ day, the country of Israel was divided into three parts. Judea was in the south, Galilee in the north, and Samaria was in the middle. So, if someone travelled from Judea to Galilee, the easiest route was to pass through Samaria. However, most Jews avoided this area. The Samaritans were Jews who had mixed with other people groups during the exile period, leading to cultural and religious adaptations. They had their own temple and their own version of the Mosaic law. Therefore, the religious leaders in Jerusalem despised and avoided them.

Not so with Jesus. We read that “He had to pass through Samaria”. This phrase does not mean that there was no other option. There was. Other Jews used to cross the river Jordan and make a detour. But Jesus “had to” do this because it was part of God’s plan that He would go to Samaria and preach the Gospel there as well. His mission could not be hindered by cultural boundaries or by people’s dislike of other people groups.

Jesus has not come for the Jews only, but for people from all languages and nations.

Do you dislike certain people groups? Does that prevent you from sharing the Gospel with them?