This was the question that the disciples asked the Lord Jesus. John 4 tells us about one of the great encounters the Lord Jesus had with outcasts. The story goes against the grain if you were a part of orthodox Judaism. The orthodox travelers from Israel would walk around the borders of Samaria because they considered the place unclean. Why did they think this?

Let me give you a little background about the place and then we will see why the disciples were scratching their heads about a woman filling water pots in the middle of the day in a little city called Sychar. Sychar was a small city in Samaria (the country) and near Samaria (capital city). I know that seems a little weird having both the whole country and the main city named the same. But remember we do things like this also. New York, New York? The Samaritan land mass had once belonged to the tribe of Ephraim and part of Manasseh during the time of Joshua and him leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. That all changed during the time of the divided kingdom. The Assyrian red wave came across the land in 722 BC conquering the Northern Kingdom. Ephraim and Manasseh, land, and people, were among the spoils taken. II Kings 17:24 gives us a list of pagan men that the king of Assyria sent to live in the land. It wasn’t long till the Jewish girls began intermarrying with the pagan men and having kids from the people groups II Kings gives us. I can think of at least five reasons the disciples asked Jesus, “Why are you talking to her?”

  1. Racial Element. The people that lived in the country of Samaria were considered “mongrels”. They weren’t “pure” in their blood line like the Jews considered themselves.
  2. The people of Samaria had tried their best to stop Nehemiah from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. You can read about this in Nehemiah 6. Israel, during the time of Jesus, still had not forgotten.
  3. Samaria didn’t worship in Jerusalem. They worshipped false gods at Mount Gerizim with their own priests to lead the worship. Idolatry was rampant among the Samaritans.
  4. The pagans of Samaria didn’t accept the prophets of Israel or their writings. The only Jewish writings they accepted from Israel were the writings of Moses, the “Torah”. Those five books, Genesis through Deuteronomy, are also called “The Law” and “The Pentateuch.” Israel rejected this notion the same as we do when an unbeliever today begins removing parts of the Bible.
  5. The last reason I can think of why the disciples disliked, possibly hated, the Samaritans was because it became a place for outlaws to flee. The criminals from Judea would run into the badlands of Samaria where the authorities wouldn’t follow. No one wanted to walk or ride in Samaria. You would be taking a chance with your very life to do so.

Back to our story in John 4. Why would Jesus talk with her? I think the answer is obvious. Jesus wanted everyone to know about his salvation. He wanted the Jewish nation to accept but He also cared about the Gentiles. The gospel of John was written so the whole world would know they can have eternal life through Jesus. Each of the gospels had a target. Matthew targeted the Jews. Mark targeted the Romans. Luke targeted the Gentiles. John targeted the whole world. Jesus focuses on one person in our passage. He was willing to go against the norm of most of the Rabbis. He talked publicly with a woman which was in most eyes demeaning to a man to do this. Women of the day were considered lower than a man. Jesus didn’t see it this way. She was the wrong race, and she was certainly immoral. However, He still talked with her about her need of “living water”. His conversation startled her, and she became curious asking several questions. What was the result of Jesus breaking the rules? She was gloriously born again. Her life was changed as only Jesus can change one as glorious as this. She left her water pots by Jacob’s Well and began telling everyone about Jesus, what He gave her, and that they could have it too.

What’s our lesson from this passage? We take the opportunity to witness every time it presents itself. We don’t filter out the ones we like better or the ones we identify with. We witness to the whole world and that begins where we are. You can make a difference in the life of another person if you will simply speak a word about Jesus to those you meet. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing to be in heaven and have people come up to you and thank you for sharing the gospel with them? Today begins our Harvest Weekend. Tonight, the Family Fall Festival is a chance for you to bring a friend or family to the church ballfield for a great time. Their kids can play and have fun petting animals. You can share Jesus with the adults as you walk around and eat a burger. Then, on Sunday morning at 10:45 AM we will have a special Harvest Service. The gospel will be presented and all that are lost will be invited to come to Jesus. Do you have your friend or family lined up to be with you? Their souls are in the balance and are found needing Christ. Jesus intentionally went to that well. Have you intentionally sought someone to share Christ with?