Personal Samaria

1 Chronicles 16-23-25
2 Corinthians 5: 12-21
Matthew 28: 18; Acts 1: 7-8

Personal Samaria

A good many years ago, the first Star Wars movie came out. Our oldest son was totally fascinated by all the advertising for the movie, and wanted to see it so much he could hardly contain himself. He was about 10 or 11 years old. I think it was the second or third weekend when it was in a theater in the town a few miles away that we decided to see it. By then the crowds had settled down to a roar and there was actually room to get into the theater without having to stand in long lines. My mother was out visiting then—we lived in New Jersey—and she liked movies a lot, so she decided to go with us. As we sat there in the dark, with our oldest son riveted on the screen, and as the plot developed with all its fascinating characters, Grandma found the whole thing funny, and started to giggle at characters and dialogue. Then laugh out loud. Our son got disgusted, got up and moved about 6 rows down to be alone and away from his Grandma who was making fun of what he thought of as a very serious movie.

Out of that movie came a famous line. “May the force be with you”. That is the intent of the words of Jesus this morning. May the force be with you as you go about your work.

In both Matthew and Luke, in their recordings of Jesus’ last words before his ascension, he is telling his followers that God’s force will be with them. The Holy Spirit. And in both gospels he is giving directions to his followers—all of us—as to what we are to do with the help of that force, the Holy Spirit.

In Matthew it is to go into all the world and baptize, and make and teach disciples.

In Luke his directions are a little different, more detailed, and perhaps a lot more challenging. He tells them “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Now I am going to show you a map of the area we know of as the Holy Land, and give you some idea of what made this challenge so difficult for his followers. And, for you and I, today. This little area known as Samaria was a huge “oh oh” for Jesus’ followers. Many years before 587 BC, the Northern Kingdom, the part called Israel in the Hebrew Bible but that we read about as Galilee in the New Testament, had fallen to the Assyrians. The Northern Kingdom included the area of Samaria. This area came under Babylonian rule in the 600’s BC. Although it was invaded twice before, the Southern Kingdom of Judah, or Judea, remained under the control of the Jews, until 587 BC. Then Babylonia took over completely.

When Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in 587 BC, most of the people were taken into exile. However, both when Assyria had taken over the Northern Kingdom, and when Babylon took it all over, some were left behind, and although not free, they lived where they had always lived. This was especially true in that area known as Samaria.

The Jewish people in exile were kept out of their homeland for 40 years. Then they were allowed to return, although still not free. When they did return, they had no love for the Jews who had stayed behind and blended somewhat into the culture of their rulers. This was especially true for the Samaritans, who practiced all the traditions of the Hebrew people, but were not considered “pure”. So, no good Jew (and that included Jesus, and all his followers) who wanted to go between Galilee and Judea would pass through Samaria.

Kinda like Woody Hayes and the state of Michigan. Woody refused to buy gas or food in Michigan.

Samaritans were despised, both by the Galileans and by the Judeans.

Jesus did go through Samaria in his ministry, he did stop there at a well, and talk to a Samaritan woman who was living with a man who was not her husband, and he did preach and teach the people there for 3 days. But this still did not sit well with the disciples. So when told to go to Samaria…. Well….. Wow…. That is a boundary they did not want to cross at all. This is a time to ask yourself some very probing, and possibly uncomfortable questions. Such as: Who, or what is your personal Samaria? Where is your Samaritan boundary that you do not want to cross in taking God’s message out to someone else?

It is a whole lot easier to take God’s message to our Jerusalem. Jerusalem for us is our family. We are comfortable there, and can speak more fully and with less fear there. And it isn’t quite as hard to take God’s message to our Judea. Judea for us is our closest friends, including our friends here in the congregation.

But what about beyond our comfort zone, the area and the people with whom we are already comfortable? The passage in Acts makes it clear that when the Holy Spirit enters us, when we accept Jesus as Christ, Lord, Savior, we become his witnesses, and we are to go into our Samaria. We have to cross that boundary and enter where we are not comfortable at all, because God’s message has to go there.

There is a land out there waiting for us. We are called to witness there for Jesus. It isn’t an option for those who claim him as Savior. It is a commission, a command. As we approach Advent, it is good to look upon our personal Samarias and ask God for the courage to go there. He will give that courage, and the power you need to be the witness we are all called to be. Amen