Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna
Friday, April 29, 2016
Topic: The empty tomb 28
Reading: Matthew 27:57-66, 28:1-15
Scripture: He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee. (Luke 24:6)
Note: The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well exposed the preoccupation and passion of the disciples as fixedly focused on the mundane things of the world. Steeped in their inflexible cultural upbringing of total avoidance of the people of Samaria, including anything Samaritan, for fear of desecration, wrong influence or contamination of any sort, the return journey from Judaea to Galilee would not have included the short cut journey through Samaria without the decision coming from Jesus.
The detour through Samaria was unthinkable to the religious and ritualistic minded average Jew. Yet, Jesus’ consuming passion to save the lost at all cost, the true essence and purpose of his heavenly Father, was a much more overriding factor, infinitely more important to him than the wrong perception that might arise as a result of a Rabbi journeying through Samaria and engaging a woman publicly in conversation.
The determination and the courage to cross the red tapes of etiquette and the religio-cultural barriers to rescue a woman with potential in her destiny, far out-shadowed the usual petty backstage suspicions, complaints, accusations and backstabbing that most people are concerned with or worried about.
The passion, determination, courage and love combined that Jesus displayed on this singular occasion in crossing a significant red tape in this story, confounded his own loyal but very much Jewish disciples, whose concern on this issue could expectedly only quietly carry them as far as the usual restricted backstage whisperings.
Food for thought: Can you imagine the number of women with destiny that the Church has negligently and recklessly confined to the dustbin of history as a result of over-indulgence in cultural red tapism since the death of Christ?
Declaration: The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? (John 4:28-29)
© Author: Rev Fred Aboe
