Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-02-15

HAril
A Scholarly Exposition Of the Lesson
Thoughts worthy Of Cslm Rehec-
tion--Half an Hour's study Of the
scriptures-Time Well Spent.
"Jesus at Jacobs welI'' is the title OF
the lesson for Feb. Is, and the Scrip
ture portion IL John 4 500. After the
talk with Nicodemus there followed a
period Of preaching In Judea, during
which the disciples OF Jesus baptized
many new converts. John the Baptist
spoke to his followers OF the authority Of
Jesus. showing them that he was indeed
the Messiah, the one to be served hence
forth. This was near the close of Johns
work; for shortly afterwsrd he was ar
rested by order of Herod, because he haI
condemned Herod's lawless domestic rcia-
tons, and remained in prison at the fort
rcss of Machaerus on the eastern shore
of the Dead Sea, until his death. When
Jesus learned Of Johns Imprisonment,
he left Judea. The fourth gospel gives
different reason from. that of Matthew
a: 12) and Mark a.: Ia: it says that
when Jesus learned the feeling Of the
Pharisees with regard to him and John
the Baptist, he left Judea. The two rea-
sons are not inconsistent. Jesus may
have formed the purpose to leave Judea
when he learned that the Pharisees were
beginning to argue about his relation to
John, which they doubtless sought to rep
resent as a rivalry; and then the execu-
ton of this purpose may have been hast
ened by the sudden news Of Johns ar
rest. ~
On the way from Judea to Galilee
Jesus had to pass through Samaria, that
is, unless he chose an indirect route which
involved crossing the Jordan twice. This
circuitous route was used by many in
that day, for Samaria was a'hated coun-
try. The basis of that enmity should be
recalled. Due originally to a racial an
tipathy between the pure blooded Jews Of
Judea and the mongrel population OF Sa-
maria, descended from the intermarriage
of Israelites with colonists from the val
ley Of the Euphrates, this hatred was
intensified by many conflicts of which the
quarrel during the rebuilding of the walls
of Jerusalem under Nehemiah was an ex-
ample. The Samaritans held only the
Pentateuch as sacred; they refused TO
acknowledge the temple at Jerusalem as
the proper place for worship, and had a
temple Of their own on Mount Gerizim.
Explanatory.
"A city of Samaria, called Sychar":
Jacobs well is located mile and half
east from the modern town Of Nablus,
the ancient Shechem. Half mile north
east from the well is village called
Askar. Sychar, which used to be identi-
fed with Nablus, is now generally
thought to be Askar.
Jacobs well is to be seen by travellers
to-day, and the genuneness of the site
is never disputed. One may feel.sure
here, as in comparatively few places in
Palestine, that he is at the exact spot
where patriarchs of old and our Lord
himself stood and spoke and rested.
"A woman of Samaria," that is, a Sa-
marian woman; not from the city of Sa-
maria, which was miles awy. There was,
of course, nothing unusual in the fact
that this woman should come anywhere
from half mile to mile to get water
from Jacobs well when she could have
got water nearer home; for the water of
this well was especially good, freer from
mineral substances than most of that in
the neighborhood, and therefore much de-
sired. Jesus saith unto her, Give me to
drink" He was thirsty and wanted wat
err; that was the plain fact. There was
no artificial attempt to open conversa-
ton. Jesus never did anything artificial.
The surprise OF the Samaritan woman
was natural. She could tell by his appear
ance that he was jew and an educated
mana rabbi, probably. That such Q man
should condescend TO ask favor Of
Samaritan woman was almost unprece-.
dented. Her question is perhaps tinged.
with boldness, to be expected in wom-
an of her class. Notice that Jesus, who
must have felt certain repelant infu-
ence in the very society of such per-
son, allowed no such feeling to prevent
him from sympathetically and faithfully
dealing with her. He loved men not for
what there was in them, but for what
there might be developed in them.
Living water" in the ordinary lam
guage of the time, was simply flowing
water, spring water, as distinguished
from standing water.
Verse II must be pondered. ''The wat
er that l shall give him shall be in him
n well of water springing up into ever
lasting life" The life that Christ gives
is true life; it grows, and gives to other
lives. Ii Christian does not find that
there constantly arises in his heart new
inspirations and strength and courage,
with something to spare for needy
world, he may suspect something wrong.
TO get religion" according to the old
phrase, is not to acquire desirable pos
session that is to be kept locked up for
personal use only; it is to open the gates
and let the great stream OF divine life
flow through the heart and out again into
society, freshening and blessing all that
it touches.
The keen questioning Of Jesus lays bare
the sins of men and women without delay.
No one need hope to become acquainted
with Christ and hide his sins. The two
things do not go together. This Samari-
tan woman had not expected to discuss
her domestic affairs. She thought, when
she found that her new acquaintance was
a learned man, that she might talk over
some impersonal matter; attempted, in
fact, to introduce the old controversy
about the Samaritan worship on Mount
Gerizim. just so do men to-day seek to
turn conversation from their own sins to
the inspiration Of the Bible or the mis-
takes of Moses or the Inconsistencies Of
church members. fff m
''Ye worship We know not what: we
know what we worship; for salvation is
the Jews" Here speaks the loyal jew.
Jesus proceeded to take the racial pride
out of the woman by, firm, uncompro-
missing rejection of the Samaritan claim.
- IL