Many Americans seem to view Muslims with a disdain similar to that with which the Jews of Jesus' day viewed Samaritans.
Like the Samaritans, Muslims are a religious minority in our midst. They strike the majority of Americans as profoundly "other."
Twenty-five percent of Americans surveyed by the Pew Center report knowing "nothing at all" about Islam. "Not very much" is the way another 30 percent answered the question, "How much do you know about Muslim religion?" Nearly 60 percent of Americans say they do not know a Muslim.
Prior to 9/11 these differences were easy to tolerate. But when terrorists claiming to act in the name of Islam attacked the United States and the United States went to war in Muslim-majority Iraq and Afghanistan, it is not surprising that tolerant ignorance might slide into ignorant intolerance.
Contributing to the troubled Samaritan-Jewish relationship was the complicity of Samaritans in Hellenistic oppression of Jerusalem over several generations before Jesus. Religious otherness, ethnic otherness, and political otherness combined to produce deep prejudice between Jew and Samaritan.
In the six references to Samaritans we have examined, Jesus accepts the difference between Jew and Samaritan. If anything Jesus highlights the differences to encourage his Jewish listeners toward greater self-criticism and self-awareness. The gospels seem to say: if even a Samaritan can know and do God's purposes, how do you explain your separation from God?
The religious practices of Samaritans - or Jews - did not much concern Jesus. As long as the rituals served to bring believers into a mindful and loving relationship with God and neighbor, Jesus honored the effort and participated in the practices. But religious practice was secondary.
As with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus calls us to approach each other with profound respect for the particular person. Who is this neighbor? Samaritan, Greek, leper or whatever is less important than knowing how this person is in relationship with God and how we are to be in relationship with each other.
In American attitudes toward Muslims we can perceive an echo of, "Who is my neighbor?" Christians should know the answer. Will we hear it? Will we live it?
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Luke 17: The Thankful Leper
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.
As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
Again the significance of the other is highlighted, not obscured. The Greek translated as foreigner is allogenes literally other sort, other nature or other tribe.
The Jewish audience of Jesus generally despised Samaritans. Jesus applies that sense of otherness to encourage his listeners to self-criticism and self-awareness.
The issue here is not the religious identity of the leper, but his faith and his thankfulness. All ten had sufficient faith. Only one had the humility and care to return, praise God, and give thanks... and he was a Samaritan.
In the Samaritan stories Jesus tells us that whatever other we encounter we are to look beyond our prejudices to the faith of the other. Jesus tells us to recognize the other as neighbor and as an expression of God.
We also see in the Samaritan stories how our encounter with the other can help us see ourselves more clearly and experience our relationship with God more fully.
Tomorrow, some final thoughts.
As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
Again the significance of the other is highlighted, not obscured. The Greek translated as foreigner is allogenes literally other sort, other nature or other tribe.
The Jewish audience of Jesus generally despised Samaritans. Jesus applies that sense of otherness to encourage his listeners to self-criticism and self-awareness.
The issue here is not the religious identity of the leper, but his faith and his thankfulness. All ten had sufficient faith. Only one had the humility and care to return, praise God, and give thanks... and he was a Samaritan.
In the Samaritan stories Jesus tells us that whatever other we encounter we are to look beyond our prejudices to the faith of the other. Jesus tells us to recognize the other as neighbor and as an expression of God.
We also see in the Samaritan stories how our encounter with the other can help us see ourselves more clearly and experience our relationship with God more fully.
Tomorrow, some final thoughts.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Luke 10: Parable of the Good Samaritan
Part 2 (verses 30-37)
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coinsand gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The power of the parable depends on the lawyer's - and our own - disdain for the other: Samaritan, Muslim, Catholic, liberal, conservative or whatever.
Jesus can make a sacrament even of our bigotry.
Again, Jesus does not deny the difference. The priest is different from the Levite and both are very different from the Samaritan.
Two do not recognize their neighbor and do not love their neighbor. The Samaritan - despite his religious affronts and error - personifies what the second great commandment means.
Love God. Love neighbor. "On these two commandments depend all the laws and the prophets." (Matthew 22)
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coinsand gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The power of the parable depends on the lawyer's - and our own - disdain for the other: Samaritan, Muslim, Catholic, liberal, conservative or whatever.
Jesus can make a sacrament even of our bigotry.
Again, Jesus does not deny the difference. The priest is different from the Levite and both are very different from the Samaritan.
Two do not recognize their neighbor and do not love their neighbor. The Samaritan - despite his religious affronts and error - personifies what the second great commandment means.
Love God. Love neighbor. "On these two commandments depend all the laws and the prophets." (Matthew 22)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Luke 10: Parable of the Good Samaritan
Part 1 (verses 25-29)
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
The question posed is spiritual not biological. The lawyer has asked about aionios zoe - soul without beginning or end - in the original Greek.
The lawyer and Jesus agree on the essential requirements. Both know the fundamentals of the law set out in the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy.
But being tendentious in the way that lawyers and those religiously inclined often are - and perhaps a bit of a show-off as well - the lawyer asks a crucial follow-on, "And who is my neighbor?" More literally, the Greek asks, "And who is near to me?"
At the core of Jesus' message is love of God and neighbor. In the New Testament Greek we are to agapao: to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. In the Hebrew of Deuteronomy, we are to 'ahab: to hunger after, seek out as a friend, and be intimate with.
In answering who is our neighbor, Jesus tells us of the Good Samaritan.
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
The question posed is spiritual not biological. The lawyer has asked about aionios zoe - soul without beginning or end - in the original Greek.
The lawyer and Jesus agree on the essential requirements. Both know the fundamentals of the law set out in the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy.
But being tendentious in the way that lawyers and those religiously inclined often are - and perhaps a bit of a show-off as well - the lawyer asks a crucial follow-on, "And who is my neighbor?" More literally, the Greek asks, "And who is near to me?"
At the core of Jesus' message is love of God and neighbor. In the New Testament Greek we are to agapao: to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. In the Hebrew of Deuteronomy, we are to 'ahab: to hunger after, seek out as a friend, and be intimate with.
In answering who is our neighbor, Jesus tells us of the Good Samaritan.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Luke 9: A Samaritan Town Rejects Jesus
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked,"Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them? "But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.
It is now late in the ministry of Jesus. He is setting out to Jerusalem and his death.
Perhaps this Samaritan village had received him previously. Perhaps there were people there who had accepted Jesus as Messiah. But whatever the case, this time they did not welcome him.
Many New Testament commentators, with no more evidence than we have available here, speculate the Samaritans resented that Jesus would still go to the Mt. Zion Temple for Passover when the Jerusalem priests and Pharisees had mostly rejected him. Why not remain in Samaria and worship with us on Mt. Gerizim?
There is a nuance to the original Greek that we may not hear. An especially literal translation suggests something going on that sounds awkward in English: "And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem."
It is as easy to speculate that the Samaritans did not want to help Jesus head toward Jerusalem because they were concerned for his safety.
Whatever the Samaritans motivation, the reaction of James and John is as prideful and angry as usual. And once again, they are rebuked by Jesus. Jesus and his disciples move on to another village, almost certainly another Samaritan village.
The differences between Samaritan and Jew persist. We have seen Jesus does not allow these differences to obscure the faithfulness of Samaritans, but neither does he deny the differences. In rebuking James and John, we can certainly hear Jesus calling for a toleration of differences.
Some translations (above is the New International Version) include details on the rebuke of James and John. The King James Bible adds to the end of verse 55 and beginning of verse 56, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives. But to save them."
The intolerance of his disciples - loyal and loving to Jesus though they may be - exposes the corrupt spirit that still abides in them. Jesus does not destroy. Jesus creates, most dramatically through the sacrament of self-sacrifice.
In any case, violence and anger aimed at the Samaritans was quickly rebuked by Jesus.
It is now late in the ministry of Jesus. He is setting out to Jerusalem and his death.
Perhaps this Samaritan village had received him previously. Perhaps there were people there who had accepted Jesus as Messiah. But whatever the case, this time they did not welcome him.
Many New Testament commentators, with no more evidence than we have available here, speculate the Samaritans resented that Jesus would still go to the Mt. Zion Temple for Passover when the Jerusalem priests and Pharisees had mostly rejected him. Why not remain in Samaria and worship with us on Mt. Gerizim?
There is a nuance to the original Greek that we may not hear. An especially literal translation suggests something going on that sounds awkward in English: "And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem."
It is as easy to speculate that the Samaritans did not want to help Jesus head toward Jerusalem because they were concerned for his safety.
Whatever the Samaritans motivation, the reaction of James and John is as prideful and angry as usual. And once again, they are rebuked by Jesus. Jesus and his disciples move on to another village, almost certainly another Samaritan village.
The differences between Samaritan and Jew persist. We have seen Jesus does not allow these differences to obscure the faithfulness of Samaritans, but neither does he deny the differences. In rebuking James and John, we can certainly hear Jesus calling for a toleration of differences.
Some translations (above is the New International Version) include details on the rebuke of James and John. The King James Bible adds to the end of verse 55 and beginning of verse 56, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives. But to save them."
The intolerance of his disciples - loyal and loving to Jesus though they may be - exposes the corrupt spirit that still abides in them. Jesus does not destroy. Jesus creates, most dramatically through the sacrament of self-sacrifice.
In any case, violence and anger aimed at the Samaritans was quickly rebuked by Jesus.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
John 8: Jesus Accused of being a Samaritan
The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"
"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."
At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"
Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
What are we to make of silence? Jesus is accused of being a Samaritan and demon-possessed, as if either one or the other was not bad enough. He responds directly to one charge and not at all to the other.
If Jesus is able to convince the accusers he is not demon-possessed, does he mind being considered a Samaritan?
The news of his extended stay in Samaria -- and of those baptized there -- has almost certainly followed Jesus. In chapter 8 he has returned to Jerusalem, and the scribes and Pharisees seek to hold him accountable for associating with the heretical other.
To deny the charge of being a Samaritan would have implied support for the prejudice against Samaritans. The silence of Jesus implies there is no dishonor in being a Samaritan.
His argument against being demon-possessed would - if accepted - have compelled the scribes and Pharisees to see Samaritans and even Gentiles as having the same claim to God's glory as the Jews.
"If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him," Jesus proclaims. It is knowledge of God that constitutes true faith. Other tests are merely forms of religious self-glorification.
"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."
At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"
Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
What are we to make of silence? Jesus is accused of being a Samaritan and demon-possessed, as if either one or the other was not bad enough. He responds directly to one charge and not at all to the other.
If Jesus is able to convince the accusers he is not demon-possessed, does he mind being considered a Samaritan?
The news of his extended stay in Samaria -- and of those baptized there -- has almost certainly followed Jesus. In chapter 8 he has returned to Jerusalem, and the scribes and Pharisees seek to hold him accountable for associating with the heretical other.
To deny the charge of being a Samaritan would have implied support for the prejudice against Samaritans. The silence of Jesus implies there is no dishonor in being a Samaritan.
His argument against being demon-possessed would - if accepted - have compelled the scribes and Pharisees to see Samaritans and even Gentiles as having the same claim to God's glory as the Jews.
"If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him," Jesus proclaims. It is knowledge of God that constitutes true faith. Other tests are merely forms of religious self-glorification.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Woman at Jacob's Well
Part 3 (verses 16-25)
He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
"I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 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."
"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
The gospel continues with the woman gathering her neighbors to listen to Jesus. "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers." (verses 39-41)
So much for not visiting the towns of Samaritans.
How Jesus told the woman everything she did is an issue for another day. In any case, Jesus puts aside his cryptic comments and shifts to matters profoundly personal.
In my reading her initial reaction is defensive. She expects the Jew to belittle her Samaritan tradition.
Instead Jesus critiques both Jew and Samaritan pointing to a more fundamental understanding of worship. The Greek used for worship here is proskuneo. This is to bow down to kiss, a humble intimacy, or a profound submission. Jew or Samaritan is not important. What is important is to be truly and spiritually in relationship with God.
Jesus reaches out to the woman of another faith - and her co-religionists - by initiating the conversation, taking the conversation to a deeply personal level, and emphasizing the transcendent aspects of faith rather than the instrumental aspects of religious practice.
He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
"I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 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."
"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
The gospel continues with the woman gathering her neighbors to listen to Jesus. "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers." (verses 39-41)
So much for not visiting the towns of Samaritans.
How Jesus told the woman everything she did is an issue for another day. In any case, Jesus puts aside his cryptic comments and shifts to matters profoundly personal.
In my reading her initial reaction is defensive. She expects the Jew to belittle her Samaritan tradition.
Instead Jesus critiques both Jew and Samaritan pointing to a more fundamental understanding of worship. The Greek used for worship here is proskuneo. This is to bow down to kiss, a humble intimacy, or a profound submission. Jew or Samaritan is not important. What is important is to be truly and spiritually in relationship with God.
Jesus reaches out to the woman of another faith - and her co-religionists - by initiating the conversation, taking the conversation to a deeply personal level, and emphasizing the transcendent aspects of faith rather than the instrumental aspects of religious practice.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Woman at Jacob's Well
Part 2 (verses 9-15)
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 answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
The woman is surprised by the Jewish man's request, but she is not intimidated. She responds to Jesus' request by noting it is inappropriate. Samaritan and Jew are to avoid each other as much as possible.
Jesus responds obliquely. He speaks in the third person (at least in this translation) and suggests she should ask him for a drink of living water. She would do so, he says, if she knew the gift of God.
Once again she responds directly and practically. Again Jesus responds cryptically, claiming - contrary to all evidence - that he has great power.
I hear a deeply ironic, even dismissive tone when she says, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus speaks of eternal life. She is tired of coming to the well each day... and dealing with the troublemakers who linger about.
Jesus has chosen to bridge what separates his religious identity from the other by focusing on what each share in relationship to God. This is received skeptically, even cynically, but Jesus persists.
Monday, September 13, 2010
John 4: 1- 30, The Woman at Jacob's Well
Part 1 (verses 1-8)
The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
To even speak to this woman is scandalous. To speak to any woman unaccompanied by her father, brother, husband or other male relation is to imply a sexual interest.
To drink from her Samaritan hands would have - according to the Pharisees - made any faithful Jew impure. She is spiritually polluted.
Yet Jesus asks her for a drink.
Despite instructions to his disciples to avoid Samaritan towns, Jesus has traveled into the heart of Samaria, into the shadow of Mt. Gerizim.
Despite a clear religious code separating male from female and Jew from Samaritan, Jesus seeks sustenance from her.
The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
To even speak to this woman is scandalous. To speak to any woman unaccompanied by her father, brother, husband or other male relation is to imply a sexual interest.
To drink from her Samaritan hands would have - according to the Pharisees - made any faithful Jew impure. She is spiritually polluted.
Yet Jesus asks her for a drink.
Despite instructions to his disciples to avoid Samaritan towns, Jesus has traveled into the heart of Samaria, into the shadow of Mt. Gerizim.
Despite a clear religious code separating male from female and Jew from Samaritan, Jesus seeks sustenance from her.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Matthew 10:1-10 Avoid Samaritan Towns
He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Jesus accepts the differences which exist between Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan. Moreover, he knows these differences will be obvious to the twelve. Further explanation is not needed.
Based only on this passage, we might guess - especially if we are of Gentile heritage - that Jesus deployed a sequential strategy, beginning with the "lost sheep of Israel," then moving on to the two other traditions.
In Matthew 15, though, Jesus is shown actively resisting the entreaties of a Gentile woman saying, "I was sent only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel." He then compares Jews and Gentiles as analogous to one's own children and dogs, and the Gentiles are the dogs.
The mission of Jesus evidently excludes all but his own faith tradition.
But wait, the encounter with this Gentile woman is also reported in the Gospel of Mark (7:24-30). Here the response of Jesus is, "Let the children be fed first..." A tantalizing suggestion of sequence.
Whatever the original intention of Jesus, in both Mark and Matthew the Gentile woman persuades Jesus to extend his purpose to her. "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." The gospel of Luke also includes an account - roughly contemporaneous with the story of the Gentile woman - of Jesus healing the servant of a Roman Centurion. (Luke 7)
These encounters with Gentiles - and with Samaritans - are nonetheless infrequent. Jesus continues to focus mostly on the lost sheep. The differences between the three identities are not denied. But neither are the differences insuperable.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Jesus accepts the differences which exist between Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan. Moreover, he knows these differences will be obvious to the twelve. Further explanation is not needed.
Based only on this passage, we might guess - especially if we are of Gentile heritage - that Jesus deployed a sequential strategy, beginning with the "lost sheep of Israel," then moving on to the two other traditions.
In Matthew 15, though, Jesus is shown actively resisting the entreaties of a Gentile woman saying, "I was sent only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel." He then compares Jews and Gentiles as analogous to one's own children and dogs, and the Gentiles are the dogs.
The mission of Jesus evidently excludes all but his own faith tradition.
But wait, the encounter with this Gentile woman is also reported in the Gospel of Mark (7:24-30). Here the response of Jesus is, "Let the children be fed first..." A tantalizing suggestion of sequence.
Whatever the original intention of Jesus, in both Mark and Matthew the Gentile woman persuades Jesus to extend his purpose to her. "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." The gospel of Luke also includes an account - roughly contemporaneous with the story of the Gentile woman - of Jesus healing the servant of a Roman Centurion. (Luke 7)
These encounters with Gentiles - and with Samaritans - are nonetheless infrequent. Jesus continues to focus mostly on the lost sheep. The differences between the three identities are not denied. But neither are the differences insuperable.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Gospel References
There are six references to the Samaritans in the New Testament:
Luke 9: Samaritan Opposition to Jesus
51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[c]?" 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56and[d] they went to another village.
Luke 10: Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[d]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Luke 17: The Thankful Leper
11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.
12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a]met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
John 4: The Woman at Jacob's Well
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When 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.)
9The 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.[a])
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
16He 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. 18The 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."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
John 8: Jesus accused of being a Samaritan
48The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"
49"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."
52At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. 53Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"
54Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
57"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"
58"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Matthew 10: Avoid Samaritan Towns
1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil[a] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[b]drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Over the next several days I will consider each of these six gospel elements in rough sequential order. The one verse in Matthew is from early in Jesus' ministry, the Luke passages are clearly from near the end, and the two verses from John in between.
Luke 9: Samaritan Opposition to Jesus
51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them[c]?" 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56and[d] they went to another village.
Luke 10: Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[d]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Luke 17: The Thankful Leper
11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.
12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a]met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
John 4: The Woman at Jacob's Well
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When 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.)
9The 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.[a])
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
16He 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. 18The 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."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
John 8: Jesus accused of being a Samaritan
48The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"
49"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."
52At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. 53Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"
54Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
57"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"
58"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Matthew 10: Avoid Samaritan Towns
1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil[a] spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[b]drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Over the next several days I will consider each of these six gospel elements in rough sequential order. The one verse in Matthew is from early in Jesus' ministry, the Luke passages are clearly from near the end, and the two verses from John in between.
Looking for an Analogy
What should be our relationship with those of a different religious faith? This is an inceasingly urgent and practical question.
A veneer of secular tolerance, never deep, has been thinning, chipping, and rolling off. This has uncovered some angry, ugly, and dangerous attitudes, especially concerning relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
Tolerance itself is sometimes accused of being naive, unprincipled, and anti-religious.
I am a Christian. I want to be a good Christian. This means I try to live in accordance with the teachings of Jesus. What does Jesus say on this issue?
In the New Testament the inter-religious issue is framed as between Jews and Gentiles (mostly Hellenistic peoples) and between Jews and Samaritans. The relationship between Jew and Samaritan was especially tense as a result of how much was shared between the two religious traditions.
The Samaritans were (and are) a people centered in Samaria, a region north of Jerusalem (in yellow below).
Samaritan origins are disputed. The Samaritans themselves claim to be descendents of the twelve tribes of Israel, especially the northern tribes of Ephraim and Manansseh. The Samaritans see themselves as a remnant of the Northern Kingdom that survived Assyrian exile. Jews who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity considered the Samaritans an entirely separate people, despite a wide range of linguistic, geographic, and theological proximities.
The Samaritans consider themselves the true descendents of Moses. The Samaritan Bible is almost identical to the first five books of the Jewish Bible. But the Samaritans do not consider the other books - the prophets and readings - to be sacred. The Samaritans focus their tradition at Shechem and Mt. Gerizim. The Jews (Judeans) looked to Jerusalem and Mt. Zion.
It was roughly 500 years from the reestablishment of the second temple at Jerusalem to the life of Jesus. Over these five centuries the religious differences - rather modest to an outsider - were exacerbated by a host of political and cultural conflicts. To Jewish contemporaries of Jesus the Samaritans were entirely other and spiritually polluted.
How did Jesus engage this otherness?
A veneer of secular tolerance, never deep, has been thinning, chipping, and rolling off. This has uncovered some angry, ugly, and dangerous attitudes, especially concerning relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
Tolerance itself is sometimes accused of being naive, unprincipled, and anti-religious.
I am a Christian. I want to be a good Christian. This means I try to live in accordance with the teachings of Jesus. What does Jesus say on this issue?
In the New Testament the inter-religious issue is framed as between Jews and Gentiles (mostly Hellenistic peoples) and between Jews and Samaritans. The relationship between Jew and Samaritan was especially tense as a result of how much was shared between the two religious traditions.
The Samaritans were (and are) a people centered in Samaria, a region north of Jerusalem (in yellow below).
Samaritan origins are disputed. The Samaritans themselves claim to be descendents of the twelve tribes of Israel, especially the northern tribes of Ephraim and Manansseh. The Samaritans see themselves as a remnant of the Northern Kingdom that survived Assyrian exile. Jews who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity considered the Samaritans an entirely separate people, despite a wide range of linguistic, geographic, and theological proximities.
The Samaritans consider themselves the true descendents of Moses. The Samaritan Bible is almost identical to the first five books of the Jewish Bible. But the Samaritans do not consider the other books - the prophets and readings - to be sacred. The Samaritans focus their tradition at Shechem and Mt. Gerizim. The Jews (Judeans) looked to Jerusalem and Mt. Zion.
It was roughly 500 years from the reestablishment of the second temple at Jerusalem to the life of Jesus. Over these five centuries the religious differences - rather modest to an outsider - were exacerbated by a host of political and cultural conflicts. To Jewish contemporaries of Jesus the Samaritans were entirely other and spiritually polluted.
How did Jesus engage this otherness?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)