SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO GO THERE

I believe in Biblical morality.  I believe in Biblical values. 

Defining Biblcal values and morality though requires reading the Bible as a unit and comparing scriptures within and across Old & New Testaments.

And when I go back and forth and really hear the whole counsel of God, then whatever God tells me I have to do--- that's what I'm supposed to do, whether I like it or not.

Which is why I believe in Biblical values, but not necessarily in "traditional" values.

In the days of Jesus' earthly ministry, the good, right-worshipping, properly-pedigreed Jews in Judaea had a long-standing TRADITION of hating the Samaritans.   This was part of their Judeo-not-yet-Christian tradition.  The Jews perceived themselves as spiritually, politically, culturally, and in all other ways superior to the Samaritans across the border.

But the time Jesus walked the earth, hating Samaritans was an understood part of the Jews' traditional value system.    But it's not commanded in the Bible. 

The Bible talks about Samaria.  The Bible explains how Samaria got started and how the Samaritans got so far away from the culture of the other Jews.  But, the Bible never commanded the other Jews to hate, shun, or discriminate against the land that was once part of their land. 

The Bible doesn't sugar-coat the real sins committed by the Samaritans; but nowhere did God command the Jews to hate and oppose everything Samaritan.

That was part of the people's traditional values.

John 4: 1-4 says that Jesus was in the southern territory of Judaea getting ready to had back to Galilee which was on the other side of Samaria. 

“Good” Jews, true conservatives  walked around Samaria to get to Galilee lest their feet touch the hated soil.  John 4: 3, 4 says:

Jesus left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria.

NEEDED.

He must needs go throuh Samaria.

Jesus hadta go there.

Why? 

Just to meet one promiscuous lady at a well and tell her he was the Messiah?   Just to save one village of Samaritans who treated Him with more hospitality than the people of His own home town?  Just to have a back story for a parable explaining what it truly means to be someone’s neighbor?

All of the above. 

But also Jesus NEEDED to defy the traditional values of His people to fulfill all of the Biblical values of His Father.

Now as then, whenever Jesus’ people gauge what’s right and wrong by TRADITION rather than by the honest reading of the whole Bible, then disciples NEED to follow the Lord into areas where tradition won’t set foot.

Sometimes we havta go there. 

As I write this I realize that my more liberal readers will assume that my words are a strict endorsement of whatever contemporary social stance they hold.  

Slow your roll there.

Jesus didn’t endorsing the old Pharisaic tradition (of conservatism), but neither did He endorse the relatively new Samaritan traditions (of liberalism).   

Jesus told the Pharisees (conservatives),   “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. (Mark 7: 9)

Jesus told the Samaritans (liberals), You worship what you do not know. (John 4: 22)

The Bible does not support the conservative agenda.  The Bible does not endorse the liberal agenda. 

The Bible explains God’s agenda.  

God’s agenda will lead you off everybody else’s map.

But if we’re going to follow Jesus, we NEED to follow Him even into Samaria.

Sometimes, you just gotta go there.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

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