It was on this day in the year 109 B.C. that King John Hyrcanus destroyed the city of Samaria, the capital of the Samaritans. Eventually, this day became a national holiday in Judea. However, the ancient sect of Samaritans have survived to this very day. For centuries, they were considered as an internal threat to Israel and to the Jews, primarily because of their mixed theology.
The animosity between the two groups is clear throughout the Gospels, so much so that Yeshua uses the distain the Jews had for the Samaritans to make a point. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, He raised the issue of “Who is My Neighbor?” by pointing out that things are not always as they appear. He made it clear that one’s neighbor might be the last person you would expect and those you would expect to be so, don’t always behave in a neighborly manner. In this parable, He admonished His Jewish audience that the people they had been trained to despise are the neighbors they are commanded to love.
“If a man say, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who loves not love his brother whom he has seen, how canhe love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God love his brother also.” (1 John 4:20-21)
We tend to approve or disapprove of people by their appearances, especially if their appearances don’t live up to our religious convictions and requirements. As His people, we should not let our religious thinking cloud our view. We have to look beyond someone’s outward appearance and try to perceive their heart. We need to override our opinion and the expectations that we impose on others and train ourselves to look upon them, even those we don’t particularly like, with compassion and a genuine concern for their well-being. In the end, we might be surprised at what we find.
Shalom.
This is Willard Cleston Walton 777 of Cleveland TN – I visited the Jacobs tent fellowship for the first time — late after the meal just prior the QnA session. Thank for the warm hospitality. Most of my life I have been timid and shy — I was totally unaware of the outside media til late in the QnA – I felt exceptionally at ease as yourself with the format ect. I do and say nothing for show or selfish attention — only to en-joy the fellowship of God’s people and His Word. I seek to be at one by His Spirit – with His Word Christ Jesus according to the image of His dear Son: redemptive-divine-nature777. Look forward to future fellowship 777. A rainbow of hope prophet, lawyer, preacher, teacher and evangelist IN Christ777– shining the Truth and Grace Nature; the Creator’s Covenant of divine nature Light to the Gentiles and Rest for all men’s souls by our Lord Jesus Christ; the same yesterday, today and forever. “For the son of man is Lord also of the sabbath”. And Jesus replied “My Father worketh until now and the Son worketh also”. The Father as the husband of the Jews gave all power and authority over to His Son and having obeyed the Father unto death hath given Him a name above all others and made Him the auther of eternal salvation to as many as obey Him. As the Father commanded the sabbaths to Isreal – Jesus now is Lord of the Sabbath during this Church, Bride and time of the Gentiles where as He commands His Rest IN believers everyday alike and uses the 7th day sabbath to enjoin all believers to live and worship God everyday alike as it was from the 7th day of Creation and now by Christ Jesus a sabbath rest without cycle of days, a circumcision of the Spirit without hands and temples of God without hands ; henceforth we worship regardless of location in Holy Spirit born Truth divine nature; sons and daughters Resting and worshiping with holy(divine nature) relational hands and do all things to the glory of God -all 7 days; for the purpose of God’s 7th day of creation rest and santification was to give man eternal life and rest all 7 days which was restored unto man in the second Adam God’s only begotteb son of man whereby we enter that one eternal sabbath day; eternal life now and more abundantly forever. There is therefore any longer any law of Moses;law of circumcision; law of 7th day sabbaths; laws of temple; law of tithes ect. “For the law came by Moses but Grace and truth (divine nature new creation creature) by our Lord Jesus Christ”. Jesus is now Lord of the 7th days sabbath by giving His Spirit and Rest Nature to His children regardless of any day but eternal life and rest with God and man forever. And as God rested from all His works and labor, we rest from from our own works –and count them all loss that we might win Christ; that our righteousness be (borned) of God and not of ourselves. “For it is Christ (rest nature) IN you the hope of glory(eternal life) with God the Father and His Christ. The administrator of Christ and His covenant is the Holt Spirit which command not the law of 7th day sabbath but the divine rest nature grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We now have the substance nature (law) of Christ verses the law of Moses. Christ is by divine nature our new covenant reality of Rest all seven days til Christ returns to the Jews to keep Covenant for a 1,000 years on the throne of David after the time of the gentiles is finished; the church age. Selah777 – think on these things. – willard cleston walton777