Listening To The Father’s Heart

Listening To The Father’s Heart

Son, many of my sons and daughters are seeking to be my representatives in their communities and cities. I am so pleased that my Son is being promoted in this way. However, let me exhort you to remind them that I came to save the world, not to condemn it. Even my own Son’s disciples did not understand this kind of love. They wanted to settle the score with the Samaritans for not treating them well. But how do you expect someone to live and behave who does not know me? Instead, I want you to follow my Son’s example in how he related to the Samaritan woman. He talked with her, in spite of the social norm of the day that encouraged discrimination against her people. He spoke into her life and her life was impacted. She shared her experience with others in her city and many believed in my Son as a result. Learn from this my son. Love extravagantly and without prejudice, and you will lead many to my Son in your community.

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village. Luke 9:51-56

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ,[a] the Savior of the world.”John 4:39-42