By: Jeremy Gardner
At some point during most short-term trips to a developing nation, if we are honest with ourselves, we have to wrestle with the questions that creep into our minds “Why am I here?” – “Does this trip really make a difference?” and “Does what I am doing really matter?”. It DOES!
We all have that thing that we don’t like doing…
Men – cleaning the garage
Women – shopping for bathing suits
Middle school boys – taking showers
Teenage girls – getting off the phone
All of us – going to the dentist
For Jews in Biblical times, it was going to Samaria.
Ancient Israel was essentially divided into two different provinces: Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. In between these two provinces, separating Judea from Galilee was a place called Samaria.
The Samaritans were Jews who had compromised their heritage and had become known as “half-breeds.” The Jews in Israel despised the Samaritans…so they avoided Samaria. To travel back then from Judea to Galilee, the Jews typically took one of two routes: Go west and merge with the Kings Highway along the Mediterranean Sea or head east out of Jerusalem, catch the Jordan river and head north to the Sea of Galilee. Both routes allowed the traveler to bypass the Samaria.
Read John 4 – Jesus and His disciples are traveling from Judea to Galilee – through Samaria!
Verse 4 is interesting; “He had to go through Samaria.”
Wait…He had to? Did He really have to? Weren’t there two alternate routes that offered passage so that He never ever had to set foot in the mess of Samaria?
But Jesus took this third route, the one that goes straight through the heart of Samaria. Jesus had to go this way.
There is purpose to Jesus going through Samaria. Even though He didn’t have to, He had to…there was something at stake, there was a reason. Jesus viewed going to Samaria as an opportunity for something greater, something monumental. He saw the opportunity, not the obstacle or opposition.
The truth is you don’t HAVE to go on a mission trip…you don’t owe it to anyone, you are not obligated to go; but perhaps there is that nudge – you HAVE to go.
Jesus knew that he was not obligated to go through Samaria, there were other ways: other socially acceptable, right ways. But by going through Samaria, He got to be a part of something bigger, something greater.
By serving on a short term trip, you also have the opportunity to experience something bigger, something greater. There is incredible opportunity at each turn.
