Jesus and the demon Legion Pt. 3

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

The demon-possessed man had been healed and cleansed. He had seen Jesus' power and mercy. He wanted nothing more but to continue on with Jesus as he left. He begged him. Jesus tells him to go to his friends, family, neighbors, leaders...to everyone and tell them about Jesus' mercy. He was told to tell them how Jesus had hooked him up, how he had changed him. He now had an awesome testimony of Jesus' power and mercy. We have a testimony too. Jesus wants us to share it! We have to share it. How nice and caring Jesus was and the mercy he showed. Jesus sent this man out to be a missionary among the pagans to proclaim Jesus' kindness. He is one of the first missionaries for Jesus. He goes out and tells the people and what happens? They were amazed by what they heard. People most likely knew the man. You act crazy, especially demon possessed crazy, you become a local legend. This man who had been self destructive was now in his right mind talking about the guy who sent their family business off a cliff to drown. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was a miracle, this man who had been non-restrainable was now self composed and preaching. He was preaching everywhere. It says he went to the Decapolis. The Decapolis was an area of ten cities. Deca means ten, polis means city. The word of the man's curing would have been spread well before he got to the different places to share his story.

The demon-possessed man was a loser who had let evil into his life so much the demons eventually took over. This isn't sin, but full-blown submitting to evil. It starts like a gateway drug: it starts small and it's no big deal. After time though the occasional wake-and-bake turns into an all night coke bender. The drugs take over. Your body wants more, wants something stronger. Eventually more drugs are needed to keep your body satisfied. On and on it goes till something bad happens. You go to jail, you overdose, you lose your job/friends/family or any combination of the three. Demon possession is like that: it starts with little demons trying to figure out what it needs to survive, and as you feed it, it gets bigger, stronger, and wanting more control over your life. Eventually, it is stronger than you are. Your life is overtaken by your demon or multiple demons.

Jesus knows we can be tempted, but he gives us instructions for what to do. Matthew 26:42

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Jesus told us to watch and pray. If you are keeping your eyes open, being aware of what is going to tempt you, and are talking to Jesus about what you struggle with, how much more could you guard yourself from evil? Satan would love nothing more than to lead you away from Jesus. It'll start small and before you know it you have snowballed yourself into a huge mess. Be watchful and pray!

Dedicated to Marisa Tyler 1968-2012 May God rest your soul.

Jesus and the demon Legion Pt. 2

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man, and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Verse 9 says that Jesus asks the demon his name, which Jesus already knows, but it is for our benefit that he asks. The demon replies "My name is Legion, for we are many." This man had many demons in him, but he may have had more than we would naturally think. In Roman times a legion was an army battalion of 5,000 men. To say he was Legion was an accurate description, because if you remember from part 1, chains and iron shackles or no man could restrain him. 5,000 demons could have the strength to break the chains, and cause him to lose all control of his body. The man was so consumed by the demons, he had no choice but to cut himself, since his body no longer belonged to him.

Verse 10 talks about the demons repeatedly begging Jesus not to send them out of the area. They knew by His command, they would have to do anything he said. Jesus had complete reign over them. No matter how strong the demons were, they still did not match the strength of Jesus.

Geresanes people were heathens, considered unclean to the Jews. The Jews saw pigs as filthy, unclean animals. Jews would not have raised pigs. Any contact with the pigs would make the Jews ceremonially unclean; a clue into how we know they were pagans. In Verse 11, it talks of a large herd of pigs in a field. Verse 12 explains that the demons begged to be sent into them. The impure spirits left the man at Jesus' command and were sent into the pigs, as verse 13 tells how he gave them permission to possess the animals. Check that out, he gave them permission. So why would Jesus allow them to go into the pigs? It showed the people living there they were a foul and unclean group of people. They needed to send their wickedness away, just as Jesus sent demons into the pigs. There were two thousand pigs and more than enough demons to possess the pigs to deliberately run off the cliff to their death. The demons were lost again, because demons were not going to live in the dead pigs. They were already dead, so they could not create chaos and disorder. They had to move on.

In the next verses, 14 through 17 we see a reaction to Jesus; very common to how we see it in our modern times. People who are scared of Jesus' powerful ability to change people into new and transformed believers. The pig herders ran into town and told everyone to come out and see what happened. They couldn't believe their eyes, the man they once knew to be out of his mind was now not only clothed, but subdued sitting with Jesus. If you look in verse 15, it tells us he was dressed, a completely opposite image of how he once was; naked. Jesus had redeemed this feral man's life so he was now calmly sitting and fully dressed. They were able to bandage the man's wounds, clean him of his stench, and get him some clean clothes to wear. The next two verses, 16 and 17, show how we as sinners are afraid of losing something we think is important, even if we witness the awesome power God. The people that witnessed the man's healing and the drowning of the pigs were in awe of Jesus' power. They hadn't witnessed anything from the pagan gods they worshiped. It makes me think of Elijah in the Old Testament and the soaked offering that God lit to prove his power to his people. People saw the change Jesus can bring into someone's life and they still didn't believe. They were only worried about what they were missing. The drowning of the pigs was Jesus' way of saying to them to repent of their evil ways, but they only saw the loss of income. They only saw the drowning of the pigs and not the amazing renewal of the demon-possessed man. The people pleaded with Jesus to leave their region. They wanted to keep their pagan rituals. They didn't want Jesus messing with their livelihood. They were comfortable with how they lived.

We get comfortable with how we live. We don't wanna give up things in our lives to walk closer to Jesus. To walk in his light and receive all he has for us. If we take a moment to see how Jesus can transform us from being possessed by the demons in our lives and be cleaned up as the once-demon-possessed man was, how much better off we are. We may have the scars from the past which were ruining our lives, but Jesus can heal us of our sins. We are afraid of how Jesus might take away something, but we don't realize how much more he has to offer us. He wants us to be possessed of his ways and in pursuit of righteousness through him.

The final post will show why Jesus uses us as a witness to our family and friends.

Jesus and the demon Legion Pt. 1

Mark 5

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

We are for some reason fascinated by demon possession. The movies The Exorcist, The Possession of Emily Rose, and the newly released movie Possessed are Hollywood's version of a demon possession. Hollywood knows it will draw a crowd to the theater. It scares us to think that something could have that kind of power over us. A power that can destroy us and make us do unthinkable horrors. Let's take a look at the verses and see the real power demon possession can have over someone.

Verses 1 and 2, Jesus lands on the shore of the Gerasenes, who are heathens; meaning they have no religion. He is met by a naked man with an unclean spirit. Did you catch that he was naked? Verses 3, 4, and 5 give us detail to the man's condition. The man could not be controlled and nothing would keep him from endangering others. Ever been in handcuffs? They wouldn't stand a chance holding this guy! He stayed near the tombs, which is a fitting place for an unclean spirit. Demons are filthy, vile spirits who feed on destruction and death, so being around the dead is welcoming to them. His agonizing cries could be heard continuously from the torment and pain of cutting himself with jagged rocks. The demon has no problem subduing the man's body, but watch what happens when Jesus confronts him.

Verses 6, 7, and 8 must have been an unbelievable scene. Getting out of the boat the demon possessed man sees Jesus from a distance, and he runs to him. The man has been cutting himself all over his body so he is a disgusting, bloody mess and he is naked. You have this naked, dirty, nappy-haired man falling to his knees in surrender. The demon knows he is in trouble. Even though he is evil, he recognizes Jesus for who he is: Jesus, Son of the Most High God! He shouts "What do you want from me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" The demon in the man knows his card has been pulled. He's scared. The demon had destroyed the man's body by cutting himself and had caused him to lose his family, friends, the life he once knew. The demon pleads to Jesus, not to torture. The demon asks in God's name not to torture him. The demon knows without any doubt God has ultimate power over him. He pleads to Jesus and asks in God's name. Asking in God's name doesn't even save him from what will happen to him. Jesus commands the demon to come out of the man. To be continued.....

Lepers: Living Zombies! Pt. 2

Jesus Cleanses a Leper Luke 5:12-16

12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

I left off in the last post at verse 14. Jesus told the cleansed man to tell no one. The most miraculous thing happened to this guy and he wasn't supposed to say a single word about it! This guy had just been freed from physical torment and pain. He had just been given a new lease on life. He was to remain silent and go straight to the priest and make an offering for his cleansed state. I know when Jesus came into my life I wanted to tell everyone and I still do. No words could have compared to what the crowd had already seen. The leper had staggered through the city crying out his warning to those in his way. His skin had been pouring out blood and disease as he crept along, but now all of this was gone. There were no open sores with dust-caked blood covering the rags he wore for clothes. The man could walk in perfect stride, free of pain. Those in attendance to this miracle would have been awestruck with silence and wonder. The first murmurs through the crowd of what they had just witnessed would have grown to a riotous proportion. The word would have traveled fast and made it to the priest even before the man arrived to give an offering of proof.

Verse 15 tells us that the news of his teachings, and more so his miracles, were reaching across the region giving him more momentum to spread his message to everyone who wanted to hear it. His message preceded him wherever he went, the facts were mixed with fiction, but he was still gathering large crowds who wanted to see it for themselves. To be able to make their own judgements on this simple man named Jesus and the wonders he was performing. Verse 16 shows us Jesus, no matter how busy he was healing and preaching, he still took time to rest and pray. Jesus needed rest, just like us. It is important for us to take time to refresh and recharge ourselves. The large crowds who had gathered wanted to see the miracles and hear the teachings of Jesus. They all wanted to be in his presence, but he knew they would wait for what they truly wanted.

Lepers: Living Zombies! Pt. 1

Jesus Cleanses a Leper Luke 5:12-16

12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Jumping right in, we find Jesus in one of the cities. It was probably a major city, which would mean a population of 15-25,000 people. Jerusalem, the Jewish capital city, had a population of nearly 50,000 to give a perspective of population sizes. A town in that time could be a group of 2,000 people living in the same area. Not exactly what we would think of as a large city, since most of us live in modern towns well over 10,000 people.

So here we find "a man full of leprosy" which means he was in really bad condition. Luke, the author, was a doctor, so when he writes that this man was full of leprosy, it's not an exaggeration, but an accurate description of how sick the man was. Leprosy is a skin condition that makes your skin fester and painfully crack open oozing pus and blood. It would start in a generalized area and spread. The open sores would breed infection which led to loss of fingers, hands, toes, feet, up to full appendages. There have been recorded cases in the mid-1800s where people had leprosy for so long it eventually made their eyes crust over because at that point the disease had overtaken the mucus membranes in the eyes. The eyes would literally rot out of your skull from infection. Leprosy at any stage causes the afflicted person to be in constant pain and suffering. Let me give you an idea of the intensity of these verses. You read the verses and think "Oh how nice, Jesus healed the leper, that was really nice of him." I can assure that this was not the case. This four verse story is the equivalent of an episode you might find on The Walking Dead.

Verse 12 says "there came a man..." and everyone would have know he was there. In Leviticus 13:45-46 it says

45 “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip[b] and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ 46 He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

The man enters into the city where he has been kicked out and he is yelling in a garbled voice "unclean, unclean, UNCLEAN!!!" His hair is dreaded, his clothes torn. He hasn't bathed in years due to the pain of the condition of his skin. He reeks of blood, rotting flesh, and filth. The pain makes him weak. He staggers through the crowds. People are running away from him as he nears, others are throwing rocks from afar. Nobody dares go near him for fear of becoming infected.

Think of the second season of The Walking Dead with the walkers in the barn. They were once normal people, but had become zombies through infection. The walkers in the barn were still loved, but kept away from everyone else, since they were a menace to anyone who came near them. The leper may have had family and friends who loved him like the walkers in the barn. They would leave food and water for him in a specified area for him to come get after they left. There would be no contact, ever! Nobody would touch this guy, the leprosy had become extreme. He knew Jesus was his answer, that he could help him. He could cure him. The leper makes his way through the city and finds Jesus' whereabouts. He falls on his face, not from weakness, but in admiration of Jesus. He worships him at his feet as if Jesus was king. The man doesn't demand cleansing, but asks humbly for it. "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." He leaves it up to Jesus. He lets Jesus do what he wants with his life. Verse 13, the most amazing thing happens. Before Jesus says a word, he does the unthinkable.

HE TOUCHES HIM!!!

Can you believe it? This man is infected with a nasty, flesh rotting disease and Jesus reaches out and touches him. Nobody would come near him, let alone even think of touching him. Who knows when the last time this man had been touched by someone else? Jesus tells him "I will; be clean." Jesus doesn't just heal the man, but cleanses him too. He deems him clean before God as Aaron and his sons would have. The leprosy left him immediately. He cleansed him completely! He wasn't just cured, but clean before God.

Not Gatorade, it's eternal made! pt. 6

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

This woman who was at the well, full of shame and sin was used by Jesus and he gave her a testimony that changed the lives of many. Because of her testimony they believed and were excited, so much so they invited Jesus to stay with them to get closer to him as a friend. Remember that the beginning of this series we learned that Jews and Samaritans were enemies, but now through a sinful woman, Jesus started to break down the walls of hatred to make a new relationship between the two groups. He can use anyone to bring his will.

Verse 42 tells us woman's testimony drew the people closer to Jesus and as they got closer they could find out for themselves who Jesus was. He is the Savior of the world! Jesus used a woman from a despised people who despised her and all she had been caught up in. She was nowhere near perfect, but she was prefect for Jesus to use her in his plan. No matter how much of a lowlife or a loser we think we are Jesus can use us to bring the message of salvation!

Not Gatorade, it's eternal made! Pt.5

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

The woman knows a bit about her Jewish heritage and faith, even though she is has adapted pagan rituals into her belief system. Remember the Samaritans have been infiltrated with the Assyrian beliefs when the land was over taken several hundred years before. Verse 20 gives us the notion she has worshiped the pagan gods of Assyria and the Jewish God regularly at the mountain near where they were talking. The mountain was Mt. Gerizim. The Jews were right with the idea that they should have gone to Jerusalem for festivals and worship at least yearly. Even if the Jewish despised the Samaritans and would have likely treated their offerings with contempt and suspicion.

Jesus explains to her that soon where she worships will not make a difference, there will be no sacrifices to be made at the temple. The ultimate sacrifice would be made by Jesus on a cross. God's chosen people were the Jews, so they knew of the coming of Christ. The Samaritans may have heard about it, but did not have clear interpretation and understanding of it. The truth in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection leads the way for him to send the Holy Spirit upon his people for truth and guidance. The woman says she knows about the Messiah and that he will explain everything, which is telling the truth about the importance of Christ's mission on Earth. Salvation is from the Jews, but not strictly for the Jews. It is for anyone who wants to know and live the truth of Jesus' mission.

Not gatorade, it's eternal made! Pt. 4

16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

17 “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

I find these verses to be a eye-opening more than anything to the fact that Jesus knows us. He knows everything about us. Everything! Jesus tells the woman, who we know nothing about to get her husband. She admits the truth, but its only half the truth. We know that Jesus knows our hearts, but this woman wasn't in the know. She was trying to slide by and tell him only a part of her story. Jesus revealed who he was and his power by calling her out, yet doing it in a gentle manner. She knew she was busted, but she wasn't being condemned. Jesus makes no remarks about her sad situation, but verifies for her that her situation is not a healthy one. A fact that she already knows since she is fetching water at the hottest part of the day.

The woman having fives husbands is extreme for our modern standards, but back then it was unheard of. The only way a woman was to remarry was if the husband left her or the husband died. I have a feeling that the woman didn't have five husbands who died. She was also with a man who was not caring for her. She was used for sex. There was no part of her relationship that edified her standing in her community. If she was seen with the man and was not married or if he was a male from her family, she was seen as a prostitute.

Whether she was a prostitute or not, notice that Jesus does not condemn or make her lesser than the person she is. Jesus knows that even with her sin, he can still use her to glorify his name and spread the gospel.

Not Gatorade, it's eternal made! pt.2

I left off in the last post about the importance of the time of day. It was noon it tells us in verse 6. Noon, the hottest part of the day. Why would a woman walk alone by herself a mile out of town to get water at the hottest time of the day? She was a lowlife! The well in Jesus' day was like Starbucks of today, it was the place to be in the morning to catch up with friends and listen to Mumford and Sons and Guster ad nauseaum. The Samaritan woman had no friends and we find out in a later verse that she has no friends because she has been married fives times and is currently with a guy she isn't married to. Nobody wanted to be associated with her. The Samaritans were heathens, but they still had standards. Getting divorced in that time was bad, do it 5 times and you have a recurring spot on the Jerry Springer Show. She was disliked and probably plagued with gossip, which has led her to coming out to the well at the hottest time of the day so she would be alone. It would be adisgrace for her to arrive at the well alone. She was a epic loser in love. Think about it, being a Samaritan she was hated by Jews, but because of her infidelities she was hated by her own people. She was hated by everyone, until Jesus came along.

In verse 7 the dialogue between Jesus and the woman begins and Jesus is about to break every social rule of that day, there was to break!

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.),

9 The Samaritan woman said to him,“You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Jesus is left alone at the well and the Samaritan woman comes up to draw some water and Jesus asks for some water. To us in this day and age asking for a drink wouldn't be seen as odd, but in Jesus' day it was a social no-no. A man would never address a woman in public, especially if they were alone. There were Jews who would not address a woman in public, even if it was their sister, daughter, or wife. They didn't want anyone to get the wrong impression. They didn't want to be tempted either. There were these Pharisees, they were called the "Bleeding Pharisees" since they would walk around with there head down, staring at the ground running into things, just so they wouldn't be tempted by a woman. These people took this very serious. The woman knows the social rules and questions Jesus how he would even dare speak to her since" 1.) she is a Samaritan and 2.)an alone woman. She states that she is a Samaritan and that is request is outlandish. The author John even makes note that Jews don't associate with Samaritans at the end of verse 9. It is that important that John gives commentary to his own writing.

Not Gatorade, it's eternal made! Pt. 1

If you read back into the "Jesus...a skater?" post, you will read I mentioned a story about the woman at the well in John Chapter 4. I am going to go a bit in depth and explain how much of a loser this chick was. It will take me 2 or 3 posts to get it all out, so bare with me. I think you will be surprised and intrigued about Jesus' attitude towards racism, sexism, and getting right with God. Let's start with the first 3 verses of John, chapter 4.

4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

Verse 4 states that "he had to go through Samaria". The words "he had to go" indicate something crucial is going on here, but the text doesn't point it out. This is where geography and history put things into a bigger picture. If you bare with me, this will all make a lot of sense in the next post and why it is important info.

The land of ancient Palestine was separated into three areas: Judah in the south, Galilee in the north, and Samaria smack dab in the middle. Galilee and Judah were Jewish lands. Samaria was an area of confused spiritualists mixing Judaism with whatever they decided to worship. Mostly it was nature, but not the God how made it. They probably were in the running for the patron saint of pluralism. Normally, a Jew traveling from North to South or vice-versa would go around Samaria along the far side of Jordan. It didn't matter that it took an extra day. They viewed Samaritans as spiritual mongrels, in-breeds, and heathens. Needless to say, Jews and Samaritans despised each other with great passion.

To give a small inkling of their overall hatred towards each other, if a Samaritan owed a Jew money, the Samarian would drop the coin money owed into a vessel of water so that when the Jew pulled it out of the water it was considered clean. It would be like whites and blacks in the 1950's in the United States. We had black restrooms and white restrooms. Segregation was something we sadly did as Americans, but it was nothing new. The Jews treated the Samaritans the same way. The Jews would do anything not to be seen as unclean, so they treated them as the whites treated blacks. The Jews would use separate everything to avoid contact with anything a Samaritan touched. There was over a 600 years of bad blood between the Jews and Samaritans.

Verse 5 and 6 gives us a backdrop of how long the people have lived in the area. Joseph's bones were brought back and buried at the well. The 24th chapter of Joshua ,when Joshua assembles all the tribes of Israel, he brings Joseph's bones to the well. This is around 1443 b.c. Joshua declared a rock as a witness as he presented the laws and decrees of God to the people there. The people in Samaria were taken captive by the Persians and made exiles in their own land. During that time of exile the Persians persisted with their idolatry and image worship until the Samaritans combined Judaism and idol worship together, creating a hybrid religion that did not put God as the God of creation, but a god from man's hand. The temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed (Ezra 4:1-5) and the Samaritans offered to help rebuild the temple, but the Jews refused. This created even more tension between them.

Verse 6 tells us Jesus had been traveling in the hot middle eastern sun until noon. He was tired, which tells us even though he was the Son of God, he was still man. The heat drained him of his energy just as it would do to us. The well was not a little "Jack and Jill up the hill" kind of well. This well was nine feet wide and roughly 250 feet deep. There was a wall around it about knee to thigh high. This is where Jesus sat. The last thing we find out in these three verses is the time. It's noon, the hottest part of the day. When the Bible gives us a specific time, there is usually a very good reason for it. Why would a woman walk a mile from town to the well in the heat of the day? I will explain more in the next few posts. Just three short verses and there was all this to explain. These are Cliff notes in comparison to the depth we could really go into.