For south Texans, eating hot tamales is a tasty New Year's tradition. Being the good south Texans that we were, we wouldn't have dreamed of eating tamales out of a can. My mother used to make a special trip out of her way to drive to the rough-looking southwest side of San Antonio to find that same tamale shop every year. It was worth it. Every year she came back with bags of fresh, delicious tamales. Sometimes people have to go out of our way to find what they seek.

With even greater effort, Jesus, the Son of Man, goes out of His way to seek and to find the lost. Once, Jesus and the disciples were on their way to Galilee from Judea. (John, the evangelist, writes about this in the fourth chapter of his book.) They had so many different ways to get from Judea to Galilee, and yet John writes that of all the different paths they could have taken, Jesus "had to go through Samaria" (v. 4).

Just one problem, though: Samaria was out of the way for Jesus. You see, Jews didn't associate with Samaritans because of their religious differences. They didn't even eat or drink off of dishes that Samaritans had touched. There was such an anger and hatred between the two groups that traveling through there would be like walking through the most dangerous streets of the most wicked city of the world at midnight without any protection. And yet, Jesus still "had to go to Samaria." He was obliged to take this route. For Jesus there was just no other place to go. It was all a part of God's plan. Jesus goes out of His way to find someone who needs His help.

And outside of the village of Sychar, by Jacob's well, Jesus found her. A Samaritan woman came there to draw some water, a sinner. Married five times before, this woman was now living with her boyfriend without even bothering to marry him! Adultery and fornication—love sought through illicit relationships—had defined her adult life.

Jesus goes out of His way to help her. After striking up a conversation with her, He points out her need for help with the sting of the law. Then Jesus offers her the living water of salvation to quench her need for forgiveness, to fill her up with the hope of everlasting life.

Why did He have to go out of His way for this Samaritan woman? Why was it necessary? Love was the driving factor, just as it is for all of us. At one time we were all far away from the Lord, separated from God by our sin and looking forward to nothing but eternal death. Yet Jesus Christ lovingly and willingly went out of His way for all people, allowing Himself to be born in a stable, living a humble life on this earth, even going so far as to suffer and die on a cross—all so that we could be brought near to Him. Jesus even did what seemed impossible to prove that He had saved us, He came back to life three days later! Because of His saving work, all who believe on Him now stand as Christ's brothers and sisters, forgiven for every sin.

We're surrounded by struggling sinners: the lady ahead of you on the train, the friend you have coffee with every morning at work, the neighbor down the street you see putting out the garbage. Go out of your way to help them, to lead them to the Savior. Show them how Jesus lovingly went out of His way for them by dying on a cross so that they could be with Him forever and ever.

S. Piet Van Kampen is pastor of English Lutheran Church in Cottonwood, Minnesota.