John 4:4-26
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
What is the overall point of this passage? How would you summarize it in a sentence or two? How does it fit with the entire Gospel?
What is the relationship between the Jews and Samaritans? Why did they hate each other?
Why do you think the background of this woman’s life is important for the story?
How does her response to Jesus evolve? (Note vss. 20 and 39)
What do you think God wants you to learn from this story?
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
So, how are you?
A guy goes up to another guy and says, "Do you think there is a lot of ignorance and apathy around here?"
The second guy says, "I don't know and I don't care."
I just made that up, and it's funny! Well, not really.
We talked some about apathy in our class this morning. Why do some people seem not care about the Lord or his church? There are a number of things they would rather do than meet with him and his people on a Sunday. Apathy.
This woman in our story certainly is not apathetic about her new found faith.
There is quite a contrast between this woman and Nicodemus. Nic sported quite a reputation with his high credentials.
Pharisee.
Sanhedrin member.
The woman also had quite a reputation.
Loose.
Low class outcast.
One is a Jew; the other a despised Samaritan.
One stays in the dark; the other steps into the light.
One continues to sneak around (perhaps - see John 19:38ff.); the other cannot contain her joy. She goes to town and speaks to people she normally would not speak to.
Nope, no apathy in this story.
A friend sent this little story to me some time ago.
The Duck & the Devil
There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.
As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved!
In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his Sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.
After lunch the next day Grandma said, 'Sally, let's wash the dishes' But Sally said, 'Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.' Then she whispered to him, 'Remember the duck?' So Johnny did the dishes.
Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, 'I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.' Sally just smiled and said, 'Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help' She whispered again, 'Remember the duck?' So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.
After several day of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.
Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, 'Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.'
I wonder if our woman at the well had people constantly reminding her of her past?
Jesus engaged this woman where she was when he asked her for a drink of water and he used her reaction to discuss deeper spiritual truths. Even though he answered it, He refused to be distracted from discussing her personal situation by her question about corporate differences (we worship here and you [all] worship there). She became the essence of true evangelism--"Come see...." She didn't know everything about Jesus, but she was compelled to share what she had experienced.
Beautiful spring morning. It was sure a beautiful day for the woman at the well. Lost and found. Condemned and set free. I guess freedom was so precious to her that she couldn't contain herself and told everyone she saw. They all knew who she was and what she had done. What a witness she was. I wonder how many she led to Christ. Nic, on the other hand kept it to himself until the last fearful of losing his high position maybe. I don't know. I do feel that he in the end was convinced and most likely proclaimed Christ as the Messiah but nothing else is mentioned that I am aware of so I guess I'll know when I get THERE. Have a wonderful day everyone. Sherron
Hey, good posts! [Nice to hear from Johnny M.]
This woman becomes the “poster child” for simple evangelism. She doesn’t know much, but she knows enough to say, “Come and see.” And did you notice the response of the people, after they had their own encounter with Jesus?
I think the contrast between Nic and WW are something that John wants us to do. I think the placement of the stories is intentional and lends itself to these thoughts.
Today is a very special day! Fifteen years ago tonight my precious only daughter, Rebecca, was born. I can’t believe how rapidly the years have flown by. I remember at her birth wondering what it would be like to have a daughter, after having 2 sons. It’s been great, and it’s been different. I couldn’t ask for a better daughter. I am a blessed man.
Rebecca got her permit yesterday afternoon and then drove Kedra home. Wow. Kedra is a brave woman! Ha ha. Lester and Luke were both very active in driving tractors and other motorized vehicles prior to their “permit days,” so they were pretty adept when it came to cars and trucks. Rebecca just hasn’t done much of that. She’ll pick it up quickly. We are going driving this afternoon after she gets home from school.
It’s kinda dreary out there this morning. It’s a great day to realize you are a beloved child of God!
This morning I was looking at my Holy Trinity icon. As I examined it I recalled stepping into the room in Russia and seeing it in person. It was so thrilling! Then the next day I visited the place where Andrei Rublev lived and died. (You can read more about all this on the home page of this blog.) There I bought a tiny copy of the icon; it’s about 1 inch wide and 2 inches high. I have it resting on the frame of the larger copy in my office.
As I studied this work of beauty this morning, I was reminded of these words from a paper I wrote a few years ago. It’s a quote where the writer, Elizabeth Zelensky, describes elements of the icon and then draws a beautiful conclusion.
Behind the Father is his house, with “many dwelling places.” Psalm 84 sings, “How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord Sabaoth. My heart longs, even faints, for the house of the Lord.” Before the dawn of earthly time, it was already in the Father’s mind to prepare such a place for his children.
Behind the Son, a tree. Eden’s Tree of Life or Calvary’s Tree of Death? The oak of Mamre, yes, but more.
Behind the angel of the Spirit, a holy mountain, where his still small voice can be more clearly heard. Perhaps it is the secret place of the Most High; a lonely place, where each us retreats from time to time.
Above all else, however, it is the peaceable conversation that speaks most to me, and the relaxed, unhurried quality of the three beings. When I was a child, I would awaken and hear the voices of my parents in the next room. It gave me a sense of security, knowing they were there, talking just out of sight. Much more comforting is the conversation of the Three, the voice of Holy Wisdom, speaking, perhaps from time to time, my name.
I am a beloved son of God! What else do I need and need to know, really?
I think our Samaritan woman came to realize that Jesus was offering her, a despised moral failure, the opportunity to be a beloved daughter of God.
Just a few quick thoughts:
Jesus repeats the Jewish position regarding salvation into supercede it.
Worshiping God is not about place, gender, or race.
The intersection of heaven and earth is not in Jerusalem or Mt. Gerizim.
Jesus asks the woman for 2 things, and she doesn't give him either one. (drink or husband)
Jesus stands independent of Jewish culture and tradition. He speaks to a woman and a Samaritan.
This woman is a lot like Nate, back in chapter 1, right?
Jesus is moving from the religious center, represented by Nic to the periphery, represented by this woman.
Jesus does not erect walls; he tears them down in surprising ways.
Nic goes from curiosity to confusion; the woman goes from confusion to confession.
Both the woman and the disciples don't seem to grasp the "now is" of Jesus. Read the text to see what I am talking about.
Does Jesus condemn this woman in any way???
OK, that's enough for now.
What would you add?
Post a Comment