Now he had to go through Samaria.
Samaria: a background (from Morris page 256)
“The reason for the hostility of the Jews to the Samaritans goes back a long way. When the Assyrians took Samaria captive they deported large numbers of the inhabitants and replaced them by men from all over their empire (2Kings 17:23-24). These people brought their own gods with them (2Kings 17:29-31), but they added the worship of Jehovah to their other worships (2Kings 17:25, 28, 32, 33, 41). In time their polytheism disappeared, and they worshipped Jehovah alone, though their religion had its peculiarities. For example, they acknowledged as sacred scripture only the Pentateuch. They thus cut themselves off from the riches in the Psalms and the Prophets and other books. Their religion was also marked by a pronounced bitterness towards the Jews. When the Jews returned from exile in Babylon the Samaritans offered to help them rebuild their temple but their offer was refused (Ezra 4:2-3). This naturally engendered great bitterness. One might have expected that the Jews might have appreciated the fact that the Samaritans worshipped the same God as they did. But it did not work out this way. The Samaritans refused to worship at Jerusalem, preferring their own temple built on Mt. Gerizim c. 400 B.C. When this was burned by the Jews c. 128 B.C. relations between the two groups worsened. Occasions of friction were not lacking, and by New Testament times a settled attitude of hostility had resulted. At the time with which we are dealing then hostility between the Jews and Samaritans was bitter and widespread (though not universal). Properly “Samaria” was the name of the capital city, but the term was used also of the territory of which the city was capital. Here the latter, of course, is the meaning.”
had to” is the translation of the Greek word “dei” which means necessary or of necessity.
The Pharisees and other strict Jews would not travel through the territory of Samaria to get from Judea to Galilee or vice versa; they would cross the Jordan and travel north through the region of the Decapolis and then re-cross the Jordan to get into Galilee even though Galilee was directly north of Judea. The trip through Samaria would take about 3 days on foot but 7 days by going through the Decapolis to avoid Samaria. According to Josephus, it was the practice of most Galileans to take the straightest path to and from Jerusalem. (Antiquities of the Jews XX, VI, 1) However, the Samaritans would be much less hospitable to Galileans going to Jerusalem than to those going north. Luke 9:52-53
Luke 9:52-53 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.
Why was it necessary for Jesus to travel through Samaria?
- It was necessary for rapid travel.
- It was necessary to accomplish His mission.
Compare (Luke 2:49) where Jesus “had to” be in His Father’s house. Geldenhuys calls this a “divine inevitability.” Jesus had to go through Samaria because there was a woman there who needed Him and there was a town there that needed Him. Divine inevitability caused Him to go through Samaria and it caused Him to go to the cross — because we needed Him!
Luke 2:49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”