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Written by Ben Cheek
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Monday, 20 November 2006 |
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Do you like surprises? Most of the time I do, but I must admit that there are times when I just don’t need any. Jesus was always full of surprises. He would often catch everyone by complete surprise. That’s what happened one day in a town called Sychar, Samaria.
Jesus and his disciples had been traveling. The disciples went in to town to buy food while Jesus rested. He sat down by Jacob’s well at about noon, the hottest time of the day. Soon a woman comes to draw water from the well. She is simply described as a Samaritan woman. That fact in itself should have been enough to stop a Jewish man from speaking to her. But, Jesus spoke.
Jesus asked her for a drink of water. She was probably more than surprised. She responded; "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (John 4:9) Jesus was breaking more than one rule here. For one thing, Jews and Samaritans didn’t mix. It was like oil and water. “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’." This was probably not the response she expected.
But, the woman was not the only one who was surprised by this encounter. When the disciples returned and saw what was happening they “were surprised to find him talking with a woman.” (vs. 27) It seems they were more surprised that Jesus was talking to a woman than the fact she was Samaritan.
Then the towns people must have been shocked and surprised when this woman who had had six different men of the village (vs. 18) would come running into town talking about a strange man she had met. When she told them he might be Messiah, they had to come and seen for themselves.
Scenes such as this one were also a surprise to the “religious” leaders of Jesus time. They couldn’t understand why Jesus would associate with all the “low life” of his day, even though he tried to explain on several occasions.
Everything about Jesus was surprising to those who encountered him. Isn’t it the same today? Isn’t it surprising that the Son of God would love someone like me? Isn’t it surprising that he accepts me back every time that I mess up again? Isn’t it surprising that he didn’t give us a bunch of rules and regulations to live by?
At the end of his life, when Satan was feeling victory at last, Jesus said “Surprise, I’m back.” WOW!!!! And surprise, when it is all said and done, we win! We get to go and be with Jesus forever, in the presence of God our Father. Come to think of it, I do like surprises.
Original content by: http://becauseofjesus.blogspot.com/2006/11/big-surprise.html.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 20 November 2006 )
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Scott Bartchy is a radical. He believes in a subversive system that embraces those on the fringes of our society and seeks to establish a new way of life that goes against the status quo.