John 4 (The Samaritan Woman) [Part 1]

Vs. 3-4

      Judea was further south, Galilee was up north, and Samaria lay between them in the middle. We have to remember that the Jews despised the Samaritans. In fact, the Pharisees and many Jewish people normally avoided Samaria by crossing to the east of the Jordan River to travel from Judea to Galilee. So in actuality, Jesus was going against the status quo by travelling through Samaria, even though there were occasional Jews who do so. I’m sure even His disciples were wondering what He had in mind. Indeed, every thing Christ did was done with a purpose, and this case was no exception.

Vs. 5-6

      Jesus stopped at Jacob’s well, near the city of Sychar. It was about the sixth hour, which is around noon, the hottest time of the day. Not surprisingly, Jesus was weary from both the travelling and the heat. Because the relationship between the Jews and Samaritans was a hostile one, the Jews did not eat food that was produced by Samaritans. Thus, it is interesting that the disciples went into the city to buy food. Perhaps Jesus told them to buy food there, or maybe they were being influenced by His kindness to all men. Whichever was the case, Jesus was left alone to rest at the well. Our Lord was also at the well for a reason, for it was at this time that an unlikely encounter took place.

Vs. 7-9

      A Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. The fact that no one else was drawing water showed that this was an unusual time to come to the well. Exactly why she came to the well, we cannot say for sure. Perhaps she had an unexpected need for more water, or, more likely, she wanted to avoid meeting the other women. Her life was in a mess, as we shall see later in the chapter, and it makes sense for her to want to avoid being the subject of gossip at the well. As though being a Samaritan were not lowly enough in the eyes of society, she was among the lowest of Samaritans.

      So this woman, the outcast of the outcasts, came to the well at noontime. We can picture her reaction at seeing a Jewish man sitting at the well. As she quietly and timidly went about her business, the man suddenly spoke to her saying, “Give Me a drink.”

      One can only imagine her surprise. First, Jews had no dealings with Samaritans (v.9). Second, Jewish men were not allowed to speak to women in public. Apparently, Jesus broke both cultural taboos with one statement. The woman probably had lots of questions going through her head. Why is He speaking to me? Doesn’t He care about His reputation? Aren’t Jews supposed to scoff at us? And yet, this man is asking me for a favor! So she replied, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?”

      What Jesus said next was a step toward crossing the bridge from her head to her heart, and ultimately reveal to her that God was not as concerned with the kind of person she was then as He was with transforming her into the person she could be.

      Jesus chose to pass through Samaria because He wanted to meet a person who led a life devoid of meaning. He wanted to feed and fill the hungry, find the lost, and give life to those who are dead in spirit. Christ first comes to us, and waits for us to come to Him.

      Next, we will look deeper into how Jesus used water to reveal the woman’s spiritual thirst.