Thursday, July 29, 2010

The Road to Jerusalem

Jesus departed from Galilee to journey to Jerusalem in order to celebrate the Festival of Passover there. As Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem he sent messengers ahead of Him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they were not welcome because the destination of His journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples Jacob and Johannan saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, "Your heart is not in the right place. It isn't my mission to destroy people lives but rather to save them." So they went to another village. (Luke 9:52-56)

He then came to a town of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat on the well to rest. It was about noon. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said unto her, "Give me a drink." (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy some food.) Then the woman of Samaria said unto him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said unto her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, "Give me a drink," you would have asked of him, and he would have given unto you Living Water." The woman said unto Him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from where will you get this Living Water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?" Jesus answered and said unto her, "Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinks of the Water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the Water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." The woman said unto him, "Sir, give me this Water, that I will never thirst again, neither come here to draw." Jesus said unto her, "Go, call your husband, and then come back here." The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said unto her, "You have well said, "I have no husband;" for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not really your husband: in that you have spoken truly." The woman said unto him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our Samaritan forefathers worshipped in this mountain; and yet you Jews say that Jerusalem is the only place where people ought to worship." Jesus said unto her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. You Samaritans worship in ignorance but we Jews know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." The woman said unto Him, "I know that the Messiah will come, which is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Jesus saith unto her, "I that am speaking unto you am He." And upon saying this His disciples arrived, and were amazed that He talked with a woman. Yet not one of them said, "What are you looking for?" or, "Why are you speaking to a woman?" The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the town, and said to the men, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that I ever did! Could he be the Messiah?" Then they went out of the town, and came unto Him. In the meanwhile his disciples begged Him, saying, "Rabbi, have something to eat." But he said unto them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing of." Therefore said the disciples one to another, "Has someone brought him something to eat?" Jesus said unto them, "My food is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work. You have a proverb, "There are yet four months, and then comes harvest?" Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that harvests receives wages, and gathers crops unto life eternal: that both he that plants and he that reaps shall rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, "One sows, and another reap." I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no labor. Other men labored, and you have entered into their labors." And many of the Samaritans of that town believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them. And he abode there two days. And many more believed because of His own word; and they said unto the woman, "Now we believe, not because of your saying, for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (John 4:1-42, 7:39). And so they departed from that place.

And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid (Mark 10:32).

And Jacob and Johannan, the sons of Zebedee, came unto him, saying, "Rabbouni, we think that you should do for us whatsoever we shall ask of you."  And he said unto them, "What is it that you would that I should do for you?" They said unto him, "Grant unto us that we may sit, one on your right hand, and the other on your left hand, in your glory."  But Jesus said unto them, "You don't know what you are asking for. Can you drink of the cup that I drink out of and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" And they said unto him, "We can." And Jesus said unto them, "You shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal you shall be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with Jacob and Johannan (Mark 10:30). At the same time the disciples came unto Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, "Verily I say unto you, except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever shall receive one little child like this in my name receives me." (Matthew 18:1-4). Jesus called them to him, and said unto them, "You know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.  But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even so I, the Son of Man, came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give my life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45)."

On the road some of the Pharisees came unto him. And when he was demanded of by the Pharisees, when the Kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, "The Kingdom of God comes not with observation: neither shall they say, "Lo here!" or, "Lo there!" for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. The Kingdom of God is here now." (Luke 17:20-21). And so Jesus arrived at Jerusalem.

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