Host Pastor: Emery B. Barber, Shepherd's House Prayer Band Tabernacle
Scriptures: John 4:1-7, Isaiah 54:5, 2 Kings 17:24-29

Have you considered how many times you view "reality" through the lens of your own bias? With all that's taking place in the world, there are some things that we witness from afar, and yet others that we have personally experienced; the paradigm that results often impacts the decisions we make and our very behavior. However we must be mindful of trying to maintain an  objective enough approach to receive the information in a way that will allow us to make healthy decisions. And it's even more important for us to exercise our spiritual faculties by being deliberate to remain in a posture that allows us to hear from God - who is a Spirit. In this scriptural reflection we find the benefits of doing so. 

In the 4th chapter of the book of John,  after leaving Judea headed for Galilee, Jesus communicates to his disciples that he "must-needs"  (had to - with urgency) go through Samaria. This is significant, because though going through Samaria was the shorter route, Samaria is a region that was expressly avoided, because "the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans." So much so, that the Jews traveling to the same destination would travel so many miles around Samaria to avoid them.

Yet Jesus "must needs" go through Samaria.  Jesus enters a town in Samaria called Sychar, and approached Jacobs well. There he encounters a woman known only as the Samaritan woman at the well. In this discourse we find a woman who has naturally developed a bit of a bias towards Jews. When Jesus says to the woman  "Give me to drink," she reveals her bias when she responds. "How is it that you being a Jew ask me - a Samaritan for a drink?" Her bias communicates her disconnection with the Christ as it prevented her from hearing, seeing, perceiving the true nature of this encounter.

She was coming to Jacob's well for liquid water to quench her thirst, but the Living Well was leaning on Jacob's well ready to provide Living Water. No longer would she need to depend on the natural means of her efforts to quench her thirst. Supernatural means that were beyond what she do for herself were available to meet her at the very point of her spiritual need. She was coming to the well for a physical infusion, but Jesus was there to give her a Spiritual infusion! And just as profound, Jesus was embodying a symbol and fulfilling a prophetic moment that pointed ultimately to Himself as our ultimate sustainer!

Join us as we continue this reflection in the next leg. It's all about the worship!

For His Glory,

Pastor Emery B. Barber

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When the Samaritan woman communicates her readiness to lay hold of this water that would cause her to never thirst again, Jesus tells her to go and get her husband. This, at face value makes no sense even to us - the readers, because we often read this scripture through the filter of our own bias. We often interpret her response that she had no husband as a lie, but a closer look reveals so much more. Jesus never called her a liar! He in fact says, "You have well said you have no husband.." and what follows is a reiteration and expansion of what was always a spiritual discussion from Jesus' perspective. He was never talking about a natural drink, much less natural water, and now Jesus is not talking about a natural husband! It was all about worship! 

As Jesus often communicated parabolically and metaphorically, When he told her to go and get her husband and return to him, Jesus was alluding to the source of her substance, the one who provided her every need. Isaiah communicated it this way in the 5th verse of the 54th chapter, "For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." When Isaiah prophesies about the husband, He is referring to Jesus! Jesus is pointing the woman toward the Messiah - to himself, but notice his indictment toward her: "You have had five husbands and the one that you have now is not your own." It's all about worship!

As we read and study the scriptures it is important for us to ask the right questions, because the quality of the question can often determine the quality and precision of the answer. The question that many of us skipped at the beginning of this discourse is "Why did the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans?" Finding the answer necessitates we look back into time - the history of Israel and as we engage that posture, the Holy Spirit guides us to 2 Kings 17 where we find the Assyrian exile (please read it). There we find God turning Israel over to an enemy, because of stiff-necked disobedience. Five other countries are a part of this mass invasion, and thus five worship systems are mixed into Samaria's worship. Not only do they become mixed breed with pagan nations, but their worship is diluted as those five worship systems are embraced while they attempt to appease the one true God.

Join us in the next leg of this reflection. It's All About Worship!

For His Glory,
Pastor B.

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Teaching Pastor: Emery B. Barber, Shepherd's House Prayer Band Tabernacle
Scriptures: John 4, Isaiah 54:5, 2 Kings 17

(If this is your first time joining us in this reflection, I strongly encourage your to engage parts I and II before proceeding as it will all come together.)

​Samaria had five husbands and the one that they tried to worship by way of heritage was not their own. Samaria had indulged in the very acts that God had forbidden in Exodus 34:14. God is a jealous God and will not share His glory with another. It's all about worship! It is at this point that the Samaritan woman understands the nature of this discussion and begins to ask questions about the right place to worship. It is at this point that we should also discover that every thing about this parabolic discourse was about worship - even her spiritual adultery. She is ultimately lead into the discovery of the identity of the One who this religious woman, and all of Samaria have been awaiting.Jesus approached the woman of Samaria as the ambassador or representative of Samaria. And she would be the spark that was used to draw Samaria back to God as the Samaritan woman ran to everyone she could to lift up this divine revelation of truth. The Kingdom of God was at hand.

1. Jesus came through Samaria for the same reason he came to the Earth - to seek and to save that which was lost.
2. He did so by stepping outside of his comfort zone, across ethnic differences, through social mores, as well as racial prejudices, by daring not to take the easy way, but by taking the road least traveled.
3. Not only did he find the lost people of Israel of Samaria, but he engrafted them back into Israel by cultivating relationship with one. Thereby activating one to call many.

Jesus must- needs approach was not just about casting down ethnic, racial, and gender differences for that matter, and he did not allow those differences to stop him from fulfilling his mission! It wasn't even just about the adultery of one woman as many propose. It was about reconciling a nation that with all its idolatry and worship of false God's, had been caught up with five husbands, and the ONE they said they worshiped was not their own, because God is a jealous God. He does not share his glory, which means he will not share his Bride. It's All About Worship!

Our nation's issues are the same. God will not I share his glory with another. When we come to the realization that God created one race embedded with the purpose of worshiping, not the creation that God gave them dominion over and certainly not ourselves, but the Creator - our Maker - is our Husband, the True and Living God. When we begin to live out this true purpose, we will realize true and profound change, true and profound healing, true and profound deliverance to the glory of our majestic, mighty, and magnificent God and for our glorious good! Saints every day of your life remember that you were created to worship God. You were created to acknowledge Him as your Lord. To bring glory to Him. Our primary purpose is to worship God, to Love God, and enjoy God forever. Look beyond our fault see our need to worship a God whose Love will not let us go.

It's All About Worship!

For His Glory,
Pastor B.

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