Mapping Our Journey Part 1: Intentional Detours

Last Sunday, as my wife and I were returning home from church and having lunch with friends, I did something I seldom do on a Sunday afternoon.  I set my GPS to lead us home.  We were on the east side the city, and we live on the northwest side.  Sometimes interstates can get backed up on Sundays, with summer travelers either heading out for their week of vacation, or going back home.  So, I thought Siri would make sure I detoured any standstill traffic and get us home more quickly.  About an hour and fifteen minutes later, we were finally arriving at our front door...a trip that typically takes about thirty minutes.  The kicker was, there were no traffic jams or heavy-traffic slow-downs.  Apparently, I had accidentally set the maps app to avoid highways.  I think we explored every back road and country avenue there was between Old Hickory and Ashland City.  We saw countryside we had never seen before.  What should have been about a thirty-minute trip, ended up being 1 1/2 times longer.  A GPS navigation device can be a helpful tool...as a matter of fact, I have become accustomed to using them extensively in my day-to-day work as well as any road trip we take.  I follow the directions without much thought, unlike the days when I had to read a paper roadmap.  As you can see, sometimes that can be a problem.  As a matter of fact, it could be dangerous, if one doesn't remain alert.  On at least two occasions, while traveling, I have had the GPS navigation device tell me to go the wrong way on a one-way street.  As much as we rely upon navigation technology, we need to be intentional and alert in order to stay on the right path...the one that gets us to where we need to be.

Photo by Brecht Denil on Unsplash

In life, our journey takes us many places.  Sometimes, those routes and destinations are nothing out of the ordinary, sometimes they can be a surprise.  They may be planned, or come at you without warning...like a ride through the countryside that more than doubles your road time.  In that case, our ultimate destination was the same, but the route was quite a different matter.  We saw some beautiful scenic landscapes.  Was the cost of time worth the view?  The jury is still out on that.

On one occasion, Jesus took a journey that involved an intentional detour.  We find the account in the Gospel of John, chapter 4.  In the account that the Apostle John wrote, we find that Jesus was leaving Judea and heading back to His home area of Galilee.  However, on this journey, John gave a small note that could easily be overlooked.

Now he had to go through Samaria.
John 4:4

This simple statement says volumes.  Here's the backstory.  You see, the most direct route from Judea to Galilee would normally take the traveler through the region of Samaria.  Judea was to the south and Galilee was to the north.  Samaria was bordered on the west by the Mediterranean Sea and on the east, by the Jordan River.  Here's the catch, however.  Most Jews avoided traveling through Samaria because of their opinion of the Samaritans.  Samaritans were the decedents of Jews who had intermarried with people of other nationalities, making them "half-breeds," thus diluting the Jewish nation with gentile blood lines and intermingling the Jewish culture and traditions with those of pagan nations.  These people were so despised by the Jews that they would travel out of their way...crossing the Jordan River and traveling north, past Samaria, before crossing back to the region of Galilee.

So, for Jesus to say/think that He "had to go through Samaria," says a great deal about His heart...His intentions.  He knew the needs of the people of Samaria, so he had a plan.

1. Jesus did not allow ethnic diversity to deter Him from His mission.
2. Jesus knew there was a need and intended to address it.
3. Jesus didn't allow public opinion to determine his response to the need.
4. Jesus was intentional about his daily agenda.

On this intentional journey that Jesus and His disciples made across the region of Samaria, they came to a town called Sychar, and He sat down by the Well of Jacob.  It was around noon, and His disciples went into town to buy some food for them to eat.  While Jesus was sitting there, a Samaritan woman came out to draw water.  Now this was unusual, because, the typical time for women to come to the well was early in the morning.  This tells us that this particular woman was probably wanting to avoid the women of the city.  As we will find, she may have desired to avoid the public scrutiny and scorn of the other women.  However, she had no idea that this particular day, she would have her life changed forever.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”...The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:7, 9-14

Jesus readily engaged this woman as an individual...a person who is valuable...a person who has a past, who has made bad choices, who has been scorned by the public, who feels shame, who believes she isn't worthy of the care and concern of someone considered to have it all together.  But, Jesus knows that this woman needs the very thing He has to offer...forgiveness and eternal life.  This began a conversation that would wade through putting on a good face, deflecting from the true need, and religious controversy.  But, then Jesus shares a truth with her that is the central reason for his detour.

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
John 4:25-26

This was the very reason Jesus had taken the intentional "non-detour" detour through Samaria...to tell this woman about eternal life and to offer Himself as her Savior.  He was determined that the would not be deterred from this mission.  The result was that this Samaritan woman, an outcast of society, met the Messiah who had come to be her Redeemer.  This was all because Jesus being on a mission and refusing to be sidetracked by  cultural prejudice, religious controversy or inconvenience.

The Lesson for Our Purposed Life

​We have talked about intentional living in a previous post.  God gives us an example of what it means to be intentional in our living.  Jesus, His Son, follows suit in modeling intentional living as well.

• Intentional in Unbiased Love - Jesus modeled unconditional love that supersedes cultural and ethnic labels.  In our current culture and the rhetoric and debate about racial justice, this is more crucial than ever.  We must ask ourselves, "How do I love and care for those with whom I don't share the same ethnicity or culture?"  Living intentionally means that we are ready to go wherever the Spirit leads us and do whatever the Spirit leads us to do.  Jesus came to demonstrate the love that God has for all the world (John 3:16).  Jesus has called us to love others as He has loved us.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. (John 15-16-17)
• Intentional in Sacrifice - Jesus was willing to go the unconventional route to meet a need.  He showed us that making a difference in a life is worth the sacrifice it may require.  For his non-detour through Samaria, the physical and social sacrifice was minimal in comparison to the full sacrifice He would make on the cross.  Living an intentional life of purpose means that we are willing to place ourselves upon the altar of commitment in life-worship of our Heavenly Father.  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship (Romans 12:1).  When we are living a life of sacrifice, it quickly becomes apparent to those with whom we engage that our love for them is genuine.
• Intentional in Motive - In our culture, it seems that the loudest voice is the one that is given the most credence.  Where there is debate and rhetoric about social issues, to shout the opposition down, or to make personal attacks, is the strategy that is most often used.  This causes some people to fear speaking up or standing for truth, wanting to avoid conflict.  Jesus did not allow the opinions of the people of Sychar, or of His disciples, to keep him from intentionally making this divine appointment with the Samaritan woman.  Peter and his co-workers faced a situation in Jerusalem where they were arrested for preaching the gospel.  When charged and told they had to stop what they were doing, he responded: But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)  An intentional motive will go against public opinion to accomplish the mission.
• Intentional with Plans - Are you a planner?  If so, you know how important it is for you to be prepared...to know what you're doing ahead of time.  The tendency with a planner, however, may be to plan God out of the picture.  Whether you're a planner or not, there may be a tendency to make plans that are in keeping with your own agenda, goals and benefits in mind.  Living purposefully, however, means that we are intentional in our planning to let the Holy Spirit guide us and the purposes of God to inform us in our planning.  The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.  (Proverbs 16:9).  God will direct our plans as we submit them to Him.  

So, we see Jesus modeling the life of purpose lived out in a "non-detour" detour so that a woman, who was scorned by her community, could come to receive eternal life.  When you live your life intentionally and are willing to go out of your way, you may see God doing some amazing, life-changing things in the lives of those you encounter.

In part 2, we will see the ripple effect and how it teaches us the power of story.  This is part 1 of 2, in the series "Mapping Our Journey."  You can read part 2 here.

What gets in the way of living life intentionally?  How have you seen God work in and through you, when you have been intentional?  We would love for you to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.  Please consider liking and sharing this post on social media, to help expand the community.