A Samaritan Woman Meets Her Messiah
Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria.
So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
……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.” 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, the Savior of the world.” John 4
Setting- Jacob’s well; belonged to Jacob, he bought it in Gen 33:18-20 for 100 pieces of money. He lived there with his family, then gave it to his son Joseph, then region was split between Ephriam and Manasseh. This area was later conquered by the Assyrians in 740 BCunder King Paul 1Chron.5:26. He took the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
Samaritans - Some of those taken captive were later brought back to this area to inhabit the land, still under Assyrian rule, but many had intermarried. With this ‘mixed blood’ they were rejected by the Jewish leaders and people. With being in captivity their beliefs had also gotten intermingled with the Assiarian’s religions. Upon being returned to Samaria/Sychar they knew of Abraham, Jacob and their God, but because of war, captivity, and many years, it was not a full understanding. They kept their idol worship, they built the Temple Mount Gerizim and tried to meld it together with God’s law, that never works. They only held to the first five books of Moses, nothing of the prophets. The outcasts of Judea and those excommunicated would go to Samaria for refuge. Joshua 20:6-7 21:21 These and other factors made irreconcilable differences between the Jewish people and the Samaritans, they were the worst of the human race in the eyes of the Jews. It is so sad that after all these people had been through, war and captivity, that they could not reconcile their differences. I’m sure there was much done to women especially that was out of their control. Taken as wives, if they were given that honor, or forced into religions and worship rituals that were detestable. Many people would have been used and abused. Daniel was taken captive by Assyrian King Nebuchadnezzar. Taken from Jerusalem to Babylon in 620 BC. Not everyone was able to stand as strong as Daniel did. The years of captivity surly wore on families, many probably finally gave in just to make life for their families survivable, I can’t imagine the hardships endured by husbands and fathers unable to keep their families provided for and safe. Nor can I imagine what the women and girls of that time had to endure… they had no voice, no choice in decisions concerning them and no recourse against mistreatment.
Even today we have those who have been through wars - lost loved ones, homes, land, dignity, are in captivity of many kinds. Many children are born into situations and families not of their choosing. Do we see them as Christ saw this woman?
The Woman - yes, “That Woman” we seem to view her as a lesser woman, a whore, loose, of ill repute… because of her current situation. Was it of her choosing? Was that her life of her choice? To be so refused by her community that she had to go to the well at the sixth hour of the day, noon time -the hottest time- when nobody else would be there. Nobody else there to scorn her, no one for her to have to see, her own time to be away from “it all”. Yes, she had 5 marriages and the one she was currently with was not her husband. As I mentioned before, Women had no say in affairs of life. They were given in marriage of their father’s choosing, treated as their husbands saw fit, they had no voice, no recourse if mistreated. Husbands could divorce them at their whim. Deut. 24:1-4 the “unclean” can’t be talking of adultress, that would be grounds for stoning, so it must mean something else. Anything that the husband sees as immoral, not submissive, improper of a wife… Lev 21:1&14 states that a priest cannot marry a divorced woman. But what of a priest’s daughter? For the eating of the holy offering, Lev 22:13 if a daughter of a priest is divorced by her husband and has no children, if she is returned to her father, she can eat at his table. So if there are children involved she is out on her own, not really able to work to support herself and child if she gets to keep the child. Her only hope is to marry again so someone will support her, get a roof over her head, food to eat, but true companionship or love is secondary. Divorce could only be initiated by the husband. The only safeguard I found is that she cannot remarry a previous husband, this prevents wife swapping and “loaning” for procreation or on a whim. He would really be sure he doesn’t want her, cause he can’t have her back. These are the laws within the first 5 Books of Moses, should be close to the laws The woman of Samaria would have been under still. The current guy…. He hasn’t even given her the decency of marriage, he has her living in such reproach!
So, our Woman, That Woman - In her current relationship, she cannot initiate marriage, she needs support financially, shelter, food ect. She knows of no other way. Was she born into this life? She was handed this life, has she really had a chance to choose it or not? Had anyone ever told her of another way or a way out? I feel Christ saw all of this when He saw her. He really SAW her. He spoke to her in love and compassion, not in condemnation like she heard from everyone. Compassion, empathy, understanding, He truly KNEW her heart, He knew her intentions and situations. Was sh not elated that Christ knew all about her? That she didn’t have to spell it all out in all it’s ugly details. He already knew her hurts, failures, imperfections, He fully knew her heart. He fully saw her. He met her there, where she was, at Jacob’s well. With all of the well’s history, all the sorid things it had seen transpire, with all her stories of her life that had transpired, she met Jesus there. She received that living water without drawing a drop for Him. She found a new way, she found a way out through Christ. Forgiveness for her sins, hope for her forever, whatever life would bring she has her forever home. She dropped her life and went to tell others, she had to be changed in some form or fashion for them to even listen to her. They have all been waiting and dreaming of this messiah to rescue them too, just in a little messed up way… they knew just enough to know it was HIM. He gave the Samaritans, Jew and Gentile, the full love and forgiveness that they were due. He gave them reconciliation with mankind, Jew and gentile alike, all are the same. All have sinned and all can be saved, no matter the sordid details of our past life. No matter what we have been born into, He gives us a voice, He gives us a choice, man and woman alike choose for themselves who they will serve eternally. Christ recognized women and their situations so beautifully, He lifted them up and treated them as equals and at times taught the disciples a lesson or two on how to respect them as well as all people, no matter their situation in life. I smile when I think of this woman of Samaria and the life she could lead after this encounter with The Messiah. She was able to help others that were stuck in an unchosen life, she was able to give them hope of a choice they could make, a live where they could love unashamedly, someone to give them water of life where they will never thirst again.
It is humbling to me when I realize how Christ Knows me, really knows me. He knows ALL about me, this is terrifying, but, as a believer -one for even by His blood and love- He knows how I want to live, how I desire to bring HIM glory in all things in my life, despite my failed attempts. This brings me peace, that He KNOWsme, He sees my heart, intentions, misgivings, He fully sees me. I want to give that compassion, empathy and understanding to “that woman” at the well. I want to see her as Christ saw her. I want to see this story as Christ pointing out the injustice that the Jews were giving these people. They didn’t have to marry them, but they certainly should not have shunned each other or been so despite full toward them. God is Love and they should have loved. Love does not mean condone, love is to be kind and helpful. I want this encounter with The Woman at the Well to stick with me, when I see “that woman” to have the understanding of Christ, the love of Christ toward her, that person who feels they had no choice, voice. Maybe they really didn’t. They see no hope. It’s just what life gave them. I want these thoughts of good for her, empathy, and understanding. He gave her a hope for her forever, can I point that person toward that Way? He gave her a future and a purpose, she now had a choice and a voice, she had a new story to tell and I know He provided for her prayers. He gives us everything we need. He gives us Just Enough.
