Evening star., 1924-08-30

upon tHlS SUBJECT is the tTult OF the
teachings of Jesus, who was the
pioneer of religious freedom. in His
conversation with the unnamed sin
full Samaritan woman at Jacobs well.
Bitter prejudices had existed be-
tween the Jews and the Samaritans
for several centuries. Ezra refused
to allow any marriages between the
two races because the Samaritans
were a mongrel people. He declined
their offers of assistance in rebuild
ing the temple. They were not al
lowed to participate in the worship
Of Jehovah, whom they accepted as
their God. with the Jews. Nehemiah
communicated a young priest. who
was member of a prominent family,
and expelled him from Jerusalem be-
cause of his marriage to a Samaritan.
The young priest inaugurated upon
Mount Gertzin a rival sanctuary and
ritual. to which the Samaritans be-
came loyal" While the Jewish re-
ligion and scriptures broadened, the
Sararitans remained non-pro-
gressive and conservative religious
sect. The Pentateuch is their only
sacred book. The two similar yet
rival faiths fostered a jealousy
which increased with the years. The
hatred and distrust between the two
races were SO great that in the days
of Jesus travel between Jerusalem
and Galilee took a circuitous route
east of the Jordan" 1t was due to
the army of Rome that serious out
breaks and conflicts between the
Jews and Samaritans were prevented.
Our Lord was not Influenced by
national or religious prejudices. He
ignored them unless they were forced
upon Him. He judged men by their
character and without prejudice. He
was thus able to put Himself in their
place and win their hearts. The
Master did not confide His work to
the synagogue or the Sabbath, but
He used every opportunity presented
to win souls. He placed His stamp
OF approval upon personal evangel-
ism by His individual efforts to save
the lost. He followed His usual
practice. when the poor Samaritan
woman with a past, whose life, even
in that period of lax divorce, was a
public scandal, drew near to draw
water. 1t was due to her sinful ca
reer that she came at noon to Jacobs
well, where the weary Lord was rest
ing.
Wellside Ministry.
Her approach aroused the Christ,
who probably had been left alone.
when the disciples went into the
nelghboring community to buy food.
because He was worn out. Possibly
John remained with Jesus and over
heard the conversation he reported"
The Masters enthusiasm and energy,
revealed in His effort to save the one
who had been rejected by the COM
munity as being unfit for them to
| associate with, was tempered with
discernment and discretion.
The Samaritan ministry was not on
the Lords program when He turned
from Judea to go to Galilee by the
shortest road. He had offered Him
self to the religious leaders in Jerusa-
lem and they had refused to accept
Him by trying to stir up strife be-
| tween his disciples and the followers
of John the Baptist. 1t was an Incl
dental meeting that transformed the
social outcaSt into a missionary of
| the gospel. Jesus won her heart and
aroused her interest when. by His
friendly approach, He broke down the
barriers of centuries. In seeking a
| kindness from her, by asking for
| water, the Master revealed His sym
pathy for her. He brought Himself
down for the time being to her level,
so that He could lift her up and save
her soul.
Christ took advantage Of her
amazement at His request by stimu-
lating her curiosity and then appealed
effort to make this daughter of
shame realize her deepest needs by
offering her living water. Some have
considered that she was cynical, in
sulting. fiippant." Jesus saw in her an
| open-hearted, sincere soul, whose
questions revealed that she could be
saved. 1t was this fact that caused
the Master to tell her to cal her
husband. He decided to make her
realize her sinful past, awake through
repentance craving for forgiveness
and cleansing, which was the blessing
that He longed to impart to her.
The marvel is not that He knew the
secrets of her life. but that His spirit
of sympathy for the salvation of the
sinner was free from harshness. The
poor sould knew that she had loved too
much and was then living in sin with
out love. when His words brought her
face to face with her past life of sin.
Wonderful Revelation.
She confessed the facts when she
acknowledged that Jesus was
prophet. She was convicted of her
sin, but she sought to avoid confess
ing 1t. Men are accustomed to parry
the personal thruse by turning the
topic from a personal one to reviving
old intellectual debates upon theo-
logical questions. The Lord refused
to be drawn into controversy that
would have stirred up racial and re-
ligious prejudices and prevented Him
from helping her. He answered her
questions in solemn and earnest
words that proclaimed the charter of
religious freedom, which truth Is too
little understood and followed today
by men in their attitude toward men
of other faiths.
Her questions-yes, even the con-
test itself between the Jew and the
Samaritans as to Mount Gerizim and
erusalem-refected the imperfect
and incorrect idea of worship which
dominated all the pagan religions
and colored even the worship of Je-
hovah-the idea of locality; the be-
lief that there is some one place
where acts of worship are more ac-
ceptable to God than at other
places. The Master met the bigotry
clearer expression of religious liberty.
He made clear for all ages the
spiritual fatherhood of God, the
spirituality and sincerity of worship
which He requires, and consequently
the removal of all local limitations
to His worship. Spiritual worship
will remove the barriers of race and
religion that men have erected.
When all men recognize the nearness
Of God and worship Him in spirit and
in truth it will mark the dawn of
new age of brotherhood, free from
strife and divisions among men.
Christ's revelation was more than
she could grasp, so she proposed to
wait until the Messiah should ap-
pear to settle the problem for her.
To this ignorant social outcast Jesus
revealed Himself as the Messiah.
Without waiting to confess her
faith she hastened to the neighbor-
ing community and proclaimed that
the Messiah had come. Many be-