Places visited: Nabus (Jacob's Well), Tel Balata (Shechem), Sabastia (Samaria), Shiloh
Our tour of the region of Samaria started in the city of Nabus at the site of Jacob's Well. Knowing the biblical history behind this well (or another well like it in the area) it was interesting to be able to drop the bucket into Jacob's Well and pull up water from deep down in the earth. But Jacob's Well, like so many other sites, has been turned into another "place" with a church built over it and no pictures allowed to encourage visitors to purchase postcards and other items from the table right next to the well.
If anything, the message that Jesus communicated here at this well to the Samaritan woman who came by herself to draw water at the hottest time of the day was one of the first times he dispelled the impression that place is important. When she got uncomfortable with all of the personal insights that Jesus knew about her, she tried to derail the conversation by bringing up the debate about place that was raging between the Samaritans and the Jews -- should worship happen on Mt. Gerazim where the Samaritan temple was located or in Jerusalem where the Jewish temple was located? Which church has it right? (That doesn't sound too different from the denominational debates that derail us often still today.) Jesus didn't enter into the debate because ultimately place doesn't matter. He makes it clear that true worshipers aren't concerned about place. Instead, they worship in the Spirit and in truth.
I heard that lesson spoken again and again in our Samaritan stops. First of all, the people of this region so often missed the truth. In the city of Shechem, this "uncrowned king of the hill country" which became the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Joshua set up the stone of witness centuries earlier. With this stone all of the tribes committed themselves to worship the true God alone in this new land He had given them. But that stone witnessed the eroding of the truth. Nearby in Samaria is where Herod the Great placed one of his three temples where he encouraged worship of the emperor. The prophets Hosea and Amos rail against this city specifically because they relied on "place" -- the temple -- for their salvation. They cried out "The temple! The temple!" believing that going to that place would protect and save them. But their lives were anything but godly. The rich kept on getting richer by abusing the poor and the powerless. The truth of God eroded.
It was here in Shiloh that God also teaches the lesson of worshiping him in Spirit and not relying on a physical presence. It was in Shiloh that the tabernacle was set up and Eli and his sons and then Samuel served God. (It was kind of exciting to see the work in progress where they believe the tabernacle may have stood.) And it was from here that the people of Israel took the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines believing that this physical presence of God would guarantee them victory -- the ultimate good luck charm. But not only did the people of Israel lose the battle, but they also lost the Ark. Upon hearing of the death of both his sons and then the capture of the Ark, Eli fell backwards, broke his neck and died here at Shiloh. God made it clear that he can not be manipulated by people. And true worship of God isn't about a place or an Ark -- it is about his Spirit nurturing and growing and healing and encouraging and transforming our spirit.
"God is Spirit and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." Spirit and truth...knowledge and conviction...head and heart...we need both. It is easy for us to get unbalanced in one direction or another, but both are vital. Without truth we, like the Samaritans, drift farther and farther away from God. And without the Spirit we, like the Samaritans, are going through the empty rituals of religion trusting them instead of the grace of God for our salvation. I need to sit by Jacob's Well and hear Jesus' message to me again. I need to worship both in the Spirit and in truth.
Our tour of the region of Samaria started in the city of Nabus at the site of Jacob's Well. Knowing the biblical history behind this well (or another well like it in the area) it was interesting to be able to drop the bucket into Jacob's Well and pull up water from deep down in the earth. But Jacob's Well, like so many other sites, has been turned into another "place" with a church built over it and no pictures allowed to encourage visitors to purchase postcards and other items from the table right next to the well.
If anything, the message that Jesus communicated here at this well to the Samaritan woman who came by herself to draw water at the hottest time of the day was one of the first times he dispelled the impression that place is important. When she got uncomfortable with all of the personal insights that Jesus knew about her, she tried to derail the conversation by bringing up the debate about place that was raging between the Samaritans and the Jews -- should worship happen on Mt. Gerazim where the Samaritan temple was located or in Jerusalem where the Jewish temple was located? Which church has it right? (That doesn't sound too different from the denominational debates that derail us often still today.) Jesus didn't enter into the debate because ultimately place doesn't matter. He makes it clear that true worshipers aren't concerned about place. Instead, they worship in the Spirit and in truth.
I heard that lesson spoken again and again in our Samaritan stops. First of all, the people of this region so often missed the truth. In the city of Shechem, this "uncrowned king of the hill country" which became the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Joshua set up the stone of witness centuries earlier. With this stone all of the tribes committed themselves to worship the true God alone in this new land He had given them. But that stone witnessed the eroding of the truth. Nearby in Samaria is where Herod the Great placed one of his three temples where he encouraged worship of the emperor. The prophets Hosea and Amos rail against this city specifically because they relied on "place" -- the temple -- for their salvation. They cried out "The temple! The temple!" believing that going to that place would protect and save them. But their lives were anything but godly. The rich kept on getting richer by abusing the poor and the powerless. The truth of God eroded.
It was here in Shiloh that God also teaches the lesson of worshiping him in Spirit and not relying on a physical presence. It was in Shiloh that the tabernacle was set up and Eli and his sons and then Samuel served God. (It was kind of exciting to see the work in progress where they believe the tabernacle may have stood.) And it was from here that the people of Israel took the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines believing that this physical presence of God would guarantee them victory -- the ultimate good luck charm. But not only did the people of Israel lose the battle, but they also lost the Ark. Upon hearing of the death of both his sons and then the capture of the Ark, Eli fell backwards, broke his neck and died here at Shiloh. God made it clear that he can not be manipulated by people. And true worship of God isn't about a place or an Ark -- it is about his Spirit nurturing and growing and healing and encouraging and transforming our spirit.
"God is Spirit and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." Spirit and truth...knowledge and conviction...head and heart...we need both. It is easy for us to get unbalanced in one direction or another, but both are vital. Without truth we, like the Samaritans, drift farther and farther away from God. And without the Spirit we, like the Samaritans, are going through the empty rituals of religion trusting them instead of the grace of God for our salvation. I need to sit by Jacob's Well and hear Jesus' message to me again. I need to worship both in the Spirit and in truth.
Pastor Tony, your journey continues to fascinate!
ReplyDeleteTwo leftover questions from previous comments:
1. Did you get to eat Peter fish?
2. Is the columbarium a nesting place for birds?
And one more, as the weather gets hotter and hotter here, how hot is it now where you are?
Cherish each day and make it count for Christ,
Joy
Thank you Joy.
ReplyDeleteYes, a columbarium is a nesting place for birds. My confirmation of your wisdom must have gotten lost in the other comments. Great job!
And no, no Peter fish for me. It wasn't offered where we were staying and since I'm not much of a fish eater I probably wouldn't have chosen it anyway.
I think I am just getting used to the heat here now. It definitely isn't as hot as the first few days in Jerusalem and as it was down in the Negev Desert, but it is plenty warm. What is nice is that when the sun goes down the Mediterranean breeze cools things off nicely. I did hear that things are heating up again there in the Midwest!