Paper 143 Overview: Going Through Samaria

In late June of A.D. 27, Jesus and the twelve apostles departed Jerusalem due to mounting opposition from Jewish religious authorities, journeying northward into Samaria where they engaged in an extensive teaching ministry. This strategic relocation represented a significant paradigm shift, as it required the predominantly Jewish apostles to overcome deeply entrenched cultural prejudices against Samaritans—a challenge that most successfully navigated except for Judas Iscariot. Their ministry in Samaria was remarkably fruitful, with the local populace receptive to the message of the kingdom, establishing foundations for future evangelical work that would later flourish under Philip's leadership following Jesus' death and resurrection.

Following their Samaritan ministry, the group proceeded to the predominantly Gentile cities of Archelais and Phasaelis, where they encountered novel philosophical objections that characterized Jesus' teachings as suitable only for the weak and passive. This period proved transformative for the apostles' understanding as Jesus imparted profound teachings about self-mastery versus self-denial, the necessity of periodic rest and relaxation, and the distinction between prayer and worship. These experiences collectively constituted a crucial developmental phase for the apostles, expanding their conceptual framework beyond rigid Jewish traditions and preparing them to convey universal spiritual truths that transcended cultural boundaries.

At the end of June in A.D. 27, Jesus and the twelve apostles departed from Jerusalem in response to intensifying opposition from Jewish religious authorities, temporarily storing their modest possessions at Lazarus' home in Bethany before journeying northward into Samaria. Their initial sojourn at Bethel extended through the Sabbath, from which they expanded their teaching ministry throughout the surrounding region, attracting individuals from as far away as Antipatris who traveled considerable distances to hear their message of the kingdom. This period of ministry spanned more than two weeks, during which they engaged with both Jewish and Samaritan populations throughout southern Samaria.

The Samaritans of this region proved remarkably receptive to Jesus' teachings, and this immersive experience facilitated significant growth among the apostles, most of whom successfully transcended their cultural prejudices against Samaritans. Judas Iscariot, however, continued to struggle with accepting these people whom most Jews considered religious heretics and cultural adversaries. As July drew to a close, Jesus and his apostles began preparations for the next phase of their journey, which would take them to the predominantly Greek cities of Phasaelis and Archelais near the Jordan River, presenting new challenges as they would primarily engage with Gentile populations rather than Jewish communities.

During the first half of August, Jesus and his apostles established their operational headquarters in the Greek cities of Archelais and Phasaelis, where they encountered predominantly Gentile audiences composed of Greeks, Romans, and Syrians with relatively few Jewish residents. This cultural transition presented novel challenges to their proclamation of the kingdom, as they faced philosophical objections and cultural resistance markedly different from what they had previously experienced in Jewish communities. These Roman citizens questioned the spiritual power of a teaching that appeared to emphasize passivity and nonviolence, considering it suitable only for those lacking strength and ambition.

Philip articulated these challenges to Jesus, noting that the Greeks and Romans dismissed their message as appropriate only for "weaklings and slaves" while asserting the superiority of heathen religions that supposedly inspired "strong, robust, and aggressive" character development. Jesus responded with a profound discourse on the true nature of his mission, emphasizing that he had come to reveal the Father's loving character regardless of misunderstandings. He corrected the misconception that his gospel was only for the downtrodden, affirming it was intended for all people—regardless of social standing, economic status, or cultural background—and promised that love would ultimately triumph as the governing force of human relations. His impassioned address deeply impressed the apostles, transforming their subsequent public preaching with a new "spirit of positive aggression" that moved beyond the merely "passive injunctions" they had previously emphasized.

Jesus exemplified perfect self-control throughout his earthly ministry, never retaliating against those who reviled him, never threatening his tormentors when suffering unjustly, and consistently committing himself to the righteous judgment of the Father in heaven when confronted with hostility. This living demonstration of spiritual mastery prompted Andrew to inquire about the fundamental difference between John the Baptist's teachings of self-denial and Jesus' approach to self-control. Jesus explained this critical distinction by contrasting John's "religion of self-examination and self-denial" with his own "new message of self-forgetfulness and self-control," establishing a fundamental philosophical reorientation.

Jesus elaborated that true self-mastery represents the measure of moral nature and the indicator of spiritual development, surpassing even the conquest of cities in significance. He contrasted the old religious paradigm of suppression, obedience, and conformity to external rules with his new approach of internal transformation through the Spirit of Truth, which empowers believers from within rather than constraining them from without. This spiritual renewal enables the "certain and joyous performance of the gracious, acceptable, and perfect will of God" rather than fearful compliance with religious regulations. The ultimate manifestation of this transformation is liberation from "self-conscious bondage" into the "joyous kingdom of the spirit," where believers spontaneously produce the fruits of the spirit as the natural expression of the "highest type of enjoyable and ennobling self-control."

As the apostles continued their ministry alongside Jesus, a state of heightened nervous and emotional tension developed among them and their immediate disciple associates, stemming from difficulties in maintaining harmonious relations with John the Baptist's disciples and adjusting to cross-cultural interactions with Gentiles and Samaritans. Andrew, feeling particularly overwhelmed by these mounting interpersonal conflicts, approached Jesus seeking guidance. Rather than directly addressing these social complications, Jesus recommended a three-day period of rest and relaxation on Mount Sartaba, recognizing the restorative value of temporary disengagement from ongoing conflicts.

Jesus instructed Andrew to approach each apostle individually and request their cooperation in setting aside discussion of their troubles during this brief retreat, demonstrating his psychological insight into group dynamics. During their mountain sojourn, Jesus emphasized the importance of rest and the efficacy of relaxation, teaching that temporarily abandoning entangled problems often facilitates their eventual resolution. The apostles discovered through this experience that many of their perceived difficulties were either nonexistent or significantly exaggerated by fatigue and constant proximity. Upon returning from this retreat, they experienced markedly improved relations with John's followers and demonstrated greater emotional resilience, having learned that periodic withdrawal from routine responsibilities can provide essential perspective and prevent the magnification of interpersonal tensions.

The deep-seated enmity between the Jews and Samaritans traced its origins back more than six centuries to approximately 700 B.C., when Sargon, king of Assyria, suppressed a revolt in central Palestine and subsequently deported over 25,000 Jews from the northern kingdom of Israel, replacing them with nearly equal numbers of Cuthites, Sepharvites, and Hamathites. This initial demographic disruption created the foundation for cultural tension, but the religious animosity significantly intensified following the Jews' return from Babylonian captivity, when the Samaritans actively impeded the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Relations deteriorated further when the Samaritans extended assistance to Alexander the Great, who reciprocated by granting them permission to construct their own temple on Mount Gerizim, establishing a competing center of worship that directly challenged Jerusalem's religious authority.

These historical developments created a profound cultural and religious division that persisted into Jesus' time, making his decision to enter Samaria a significant challenge to his apostles' cultural conditioning. While the twelve had become increasingly comfortable preaching in the Greek cities of the Decapolis and Syria, venturing into Samaria represented a more profound test of their loyalty to Jesus. This crucial moment in their development revealed that after more than a year with Jesus, the apostles had cultivated a form of personal devotion to him that transcended their inherited prejudices and religious traditions. Their willingness to follow Jesus into Samaria despite lifelong cultural aversion demonstrated significant spiritual growth and personal transformation, prioritizing their commitment to the Master above deeply ingrained cultural biases.

Upon arriving at Jacob's well near Sychar, Jesus remained there to rest while Philip led the other apostles to arrange provisions and accommodations in the nearby city. As Jesus sat alone, a Samaritan woman named Nalda approached to draw water, and he requested a drink—a simple interaction that transgressed significant cultural boundaries, as Jews typically avoided contact with Samaritans, and men rarely addressed unfamiliar women in public settings. Their conversation deepened when Jesus offered her "living water" and demonstrated supernatural knowledge of her personal life, revealing that she had previously had five husbands and was currently living with a man to whom she was not married.

Initially misinterpreting Jesus' friendly demeanor as inappropriate familiarity, Nalda's perception shifted dramatically when she recognized the spiritual nature of their interaction. Though she attempted to deflect attention from her personal situation by raising theological questions about proper worship locations, Jesus perceived her spiritual thirst beneath this evasion and made an extraordinarily direct declaration of his messianic identity, stating, "I who speak to you am he." This represented the first explicit, undisguised pronouncement of his divine nature and sonship on earth—remarkably offered to a Samaritan woman whose moral reputation was questionable by conventional standards. When the returning apostles found Jesus conversing alone with this woman, they were astonished yet remained respectfully silent as he completed their interaction, addressing her as a forgiven "daughter of the Most High" before she departed to share her experience with fellow townspeople.

The evening that Nalda drew residents from Sychar to meet Jesus, the apostles, having just returned with provisions after a day without food, urged Jesus to eat before addressing the gathering crowd. Jesus responded with the cryptic statement that he had "meat to eat" that they did not know about, clarifying that his nourishment came from doing the Father's will and accomplishing his work. He then elaborated using agricultural metaphors, explaining that while conventional wisdom distinguished between sowing and reaping seasons, the spiritual fields were "already white for the harvest," referring to the receptive Samaritan population and acknowledging that they would reap where John the Baptist had previously sown—a recognition of spiritual continuity between their respective ministries.

Following this encounter, Jesus and the apostles preached in Sychar for two days before establishing a camp on Mount Gerizim, where they remained until the end of August. During this extended period, Jesus taught extensively about the central realities of the kingdom, emphasizing that God desires to be known as a Father-friend and that humans should operate as brother-friends to one another. He stressed that love constitutes the greatest relationship in the universe while truth represents the greatest pronouncement of these divine relationships. Jesus felt comfortable fully revealing himself to the Samaritans because he knew he would not return to this region, and their work yielded abundant spiritual fruit, effectively preparing the groundwork for Philip's subsequent ministry in these communities following Jesus' death and resurrection, when persecution dispersed the apostles from Jerusalem throughout the surrounding territories.

During the evening conferences on Mount Gerizim, Jesus imparted profound insights regarding prayer and worship, establishing fundamental distinctions that would inform spiritual practice for generations to come. He defined true religion as the individual soul's self-conscious relationship with the Creator, distinguishing it from organized religion, which represents humanity's attempt to socialize worship experiences. Jesus emphasized the importance of balancing spiritual practices with material engagement, noting that work should alternate with play, profound philosophy with rhythmic poetry, and the strain of living with the restfulness of worship to achieve holistic spiritual development.

Jesus articulated essential conceptual differences between prayer and worship, explaining that prayer is designed not to increase knowledge but to expand spiritual insight, while worship anticipates the better life ahead and reflects these new spiritual significances back upon present existence. He described prayer as spiritually sustaining whereas worship is divinely creative, representing the technique of looking to the One for inspiration to serve the many. Jesus characterized worship as effortless attention and ideal soul rest—a form of restful spiritual exertion that constitutes the finite's identification with the Infinite. Additionally, he distinguished prayer as self-reminding (sublime thinking) from worship as self-forgetting (superthinking), the latter representing the son's personal communion with the divine Father. These profound teachings transcended the apostles' immediate comprehension but would continue to influence spiritual seekers throughout earth's history and across other worlds.