Jesus Talks with a Samaritan

March 19, 2023 Background Scripture: John 4:1 42 Lesson Passage: John 4:7 - 15, 28 - 30, 39 - 41 I am amazed at the way God lovingly prepares us for things we could not handle any other way. Jesus demonstrated this loving care many times during His ministry. Today's text is one example of it. It was taboo for a Jewish person to engage in cordial conversation with a Samaritan. It was even more reprehensible for it to be a Jewish man talking to a Samaritan woman. The bible reveals that this was understood by both Jews and Samaritans. Jesus' mission was too important to be sidetracked by taboos. Therefore, Jesus sent His disciples to buy food prior to the arrival of a Samaritan woman at the well where Jesus sat. When the woman approached the well, Jesus asked her to give Him a drink. She reminded Jesus that Jews and Samaritans did not deal with each other. How dare He ask her for a drink? Jesus used her response to introduce Himself: If she knew what God was giving and who He was, then she would be asking Him for a drink. He would give her living water. Then, her conversation became less confrontational and more about their common ancestor, Jacob. Jesus responded that what He was offering is greater than what their common ancestor, Jacob, had provided by digging the well where Jesus sat. With that exchange, she was now willing to accept water from Jesus. Then Jesus turned the conversation on her. Jesus asked her about her husband. When she responded that she had no husband, the conversation became more personal. Jesus talked about her five failed marriages and her current immoral relationship. The Samaritans were obviously aware of this, but an unknown Jew should not be. She concluded that Jesus is a prophet. She changed the conversation from her relationship status to the different religious beliefs of the Jews and Samaritans. Jesus declared that both sets of belief were not entirely accurate. Jesus talked about true worshipers of God that would not follow either. The spiritual light came on for her and she referenced the Messiah of God. Jesus identified Himself as the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus led her into a believing faith just as His disciples were returning. They were dumfounded that Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman as they approached but they knew not to question Him. Meanwhile, the woman went and began evangelizing the city. Many of the Samaritans believed in Jesus as the Messiah, and they left the city seeking Jesus because of the woman's testimony. As the crowd approached, Jesus saw them as a crop ready to be harvested. Jesus sowed the seed of faith into the woman's heart, and she sowed the word of faith into the hearing of the Samaritans in the city. The crowd represented the abundant crop ready to be harvested for the kingdom of God. The crowd urged Jesus to stay with them. Jesus stayed there two days and many more Samaritans came to believing faith through Jesus' teaching there. They declared that their belief in Jesus was the result of Jesus' teaching and not the woman's testimony. In the kingdom of God, it doesn't matter how one comes to believing faith. What does matter is that one believes in Jesus to the saving of their soul. As incredible as it must have seemed to the disciples that Jesus would openly talk to a Samaritan woman, it was no doubt shocking that they would find themselves living with the Samaritans for two days beyond that conversation. Jesus went to an unlikely place, talked to an unlikely woman, and the results were unlike His disciples could have imagined. From the onset of His ministry, Jesus told His disciples to follow Him and He would make them become fishers of men. In today's text, they learned they would sometimes fish in some very unlikely waters and trust God with the outcome. Robert C. Hudson March 2, 2023