In Samaria
by Elder James Keen
Palmer Alaska
Editors note: James was raised in Brownsburg, Indiana, a bedroom
community west of Indianapolis, and grew up in our Missionary Baptist churches
where his father, an ordained Missionary Baptist preacher, and mother have been
faithful members of Grace, New Market, Bethel and Harvest Missionary Baptist
churches.
Brother James gave up his engineering position at Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis
where he worked in gas turbine design, and moved to Palmer, Alaska in February
2000 to assist Elder Jeff and Sister Judy Elliott with the Victory Mission in
Wasilla. This was not a spur of the moment decision but followed much prayer and
a couple of visits to the mission work while Elder Brad and Sister Kim Foster
were there. James and Mary have recently begun another mission work in
Anchorage. Since Brother and Sister Elliott's return to Tennessee, James has
taken charge of both missions having services in Anchorage on Saturdays and
services in Wasilla on Sundays. This is a temporary arrangement until Elder Greg
and Sister Lynn Bielanski from the Detroit, Michigan area arrive this summer to
work in the Wasilla mission. Currently, James and Mary are making plans to move
to Anchorage where they can trade-in their 1 ½ hour Palmer to Anchorage commute
for more time ministering the Word to people in that area.
Much of the fourth chapter of John’s gospel is dedicated to the familiar story
about the woman at the well. Many of us know that story by heart. Jesus was
resting by a well while the disciples went into town to buy some food. While He
was resting, a woman of Samaria came up to draw water from the well, and Jesus
used this opportunity to tell her about the “living water” that He could give
her. We also know that this woman was saved by the grace of God, along with many
others in her town. Beyond the many lessons we might learn from Jesus’ dialogue
with the woman, there is another lesson that our Lord is teaching that merits
our attention.
In the first three verses of the fourth chapter of John, we read, “When
therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized
more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his
disciples,) He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.”
At the time of these events, Jesus was approaching the height of His popularity.
Many people were listening to His bold teachings. Some were being healed, and
some were being saved. At this point, more had been converted under His ministry
than had been converted through John the Baptist’s ministry. The disciples that
had been following Him, especially the twelve, had witnessed great blessings in
Judea and they surely expected to see similar blessings in Galilee.
To journey from Judea to Galilee, they needed to pass through Samaria. For those
who are not familiar with the historical circumstances of that time, I will
explain a little bit about Samaria. The Jewish people had no respect for the
Samaritans. They were not of pure Jewish descent and had also strayed away from
the traditional Jewish religious beliefs. The Samaritans did not worship in
Jerusalem as other Jews, but worshipped at Mount Gerizim. In addition, the
Samaritans only accepted the first five books of the Old Testament as divinely
inspired. There was a great deal of animosity between the Jews and the
Samaritans, which is why Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan was such a
powerful illustration about how we are to love our neighbors. Because of these
differences between the Jews and Samaritans, the disciples journeying with Jesus
did not think of Samaria as an opportunity for ministry. They only considered it
to be the quickest way to get from the blessings in Judea to the anticipated
blessings in Galilee.
After Jesus spoke to the woman at the well and she believed, the disciples
returned from buying food. When they saw Jesus with the woman, they questioned
in their hearts why He would waste His time talking to a woman of Samaria. Jesus
responded to their thoughts in John 4:35, “Say not ye, There are yet four
months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and
look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
The great lesson Jesus taught to His disciples here is that reaching the lost is
not a part-time job. Even though they were just passing through Samaria, Jesus
was still looking for opportunities to share the gospel. Because He did not pass
this opportunity up, the woman at the well heard the message of salvation and
believed, along with several others.
Is there a Samaria in your life? Is there a place or a time that exists between
two points where you do not continue to look for opportunities to witness for
Christ? Rather than just stopping for lunch, as the disciples had planned, read
what happened in Samaria. John 4:39-41 tells us, “And many of the Samaritans of
that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told
me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought
him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more
believed because of his own word;”
The disciples were blind to the opportunities for evangelism that existed in
Samaria. Rather than seeing the lost and dying souls around them, they were only
focused on their next destination, Galilee. Samaria was an uncomfortable place
for them. They were not around people they had much in common with and they only
saw it as the way to get from point A to point B. Jesus taught them that there
was great potential for fruitful labor in the place where they least expected.
Is there a Samaria in your life? Is there a place or a time that exists between
two points where you do not continue to look for opportunities to witness for
Christ? Some may get caught up in “revival syndrome.” That could be described as
only having a burden for the lost during the special times that a church has
revival services. They see their last revival as Judea and the next revival as
Galilee. However, they miss the opportunity to labor in the Samaria between
revivals.
Others may have limited themselves to “four wall evangelism.” This could be
defined as only trying to reach the lost within the confines of a church
service. These people look at the last church service as Judea and the next
church service as Galilee. Their church services are the places of blessing
where the Lord works, but they lack faith to believe that He can work outside of
the service. What they miss is the opportunity that exists on Monday through
Saturday, when they are around their co-workers, family, and friends. Their
evangelism is limited to inviting people to church, rather than taking the
gospel out to those who may never step foot into a church.
Neither “revival syndrome” nor “four wall evangelism” is scriptural. Jesus and
the early church took the gospel out and so must we! As it is often said, the
first word of the Great Commission is “Go”. We must realize that this is a 24 /
7 / 365 commission. We are to be looking for opportunities to tell others about
Jesus, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred and sixty
five days a year.
Do not lose heart if you have fallen into this trap. The disciples had a similar
mentality before Jesus corrected them. It is easy for us to forget the priority
of evangelism from time to time. However, let the Lord use this reminder to
cause you to stop and consider your life. Where is your Samaria? Is it at work?
Is it at home? Is it the time between certain events or services? Wherever it
is, stop and look around you. Are the fields white to the harvest? Are there
lost souls in your Samaria that need to be saved? Pray for the Lord to provide
opportunities to labor in your Samaria and remember the great harvest of souls
that the Lord saw there. He can bless your stay in Samaria too!
