What Would Jesus Do - Woman At The Well
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Woman At The Well
Woman At The Well
Last week we dealt with the Lawyer and the story of the good Samaritan.
Jesus was dealing with his heart.
He painted a picture (The racial tension)
The pivotal point was a “heart of compassion”
Today we’re going to deal with a story that is familiar to many of us but I want to point out of a few practical principles we can apply during this season of life.
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.
His popularity, manifesting itself in the number of his baptisms, was exciting that envy and opposition which caused the rulers of Judea eventually to take the life of Jesus (Matthew 27:18). The Pharisees loved to make proselytes themselves (Matthew 23:15). They no doubt envied John's popularity, and much more, therefore, would they be disposed to envy Christ .
And he had to pass through Samaria.
John 4:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
Samaria lay northward of Judea, and between the great sea, Galilee, and Jordan; and there was therefore no going from Galilee to Jerusalem but through this province. See the note on Luke 17:11. From Jerusalem to Galilee through Samaria, according to Josephus, was three days' journey. See his own life.
for a geographical reason, no doubt, as it lay straight in his way, but certainly not without a higher design.
The province which took its name from the city of Samaria, and which lay between Judea and Galilee. Owing to the hatred which existed between Jews and Samaritans, many of the Jews went from Jerusalem to Galilee by turning eastward, crossing the Jordan, and passing northward through Perea. This journey required about seven days, while the more direct route, through Samaria, only took three days. Galileans often passed through Samaria on their way to and from the Jerusalem feast (Josephus' Ant. 20:6,1)
So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
“Sychar” -Strongs #4965: Sychar = "drunken"
“Near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.”
Jacob’s Well was there
Jesus, wearied (Humanity) from the Journey, was sitting beside the well!
It was about the sixth hour or 12pm
A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”
Paint the picture!
In this account, one is confronted with a contrast of remarkable dimensions:
Here is a contrast between God and man.
Here is a contrast between man and woman.
Here is a contrast between royalty and commonality.
Here is a contrast between wisdom and ignorance.
Here is a contrast between the unmarried and the oft-married.
Here is a contrast between purity and immorality.
Here is a contrast between Jew and Gentile.SIZE>
These multiple contrasts of race, sex, religion, moral status, marital status, social position, ability, wisdom, etc., must be accounted the most dramatic and significant of any that occurred in our Lord's ministry. Yet, Jesus and that woman had one thing in common; both wanted a drink of water.
Women
Women
The Jewish attitude toward women was less than ideal. While the Old Testament afforded great dignity to womanhood (cf. Prov. 31:10ff), the Hebrews over the years had imbibed some of the attitudes of paganism. Many a Jewish man started the day with a prayer to God, expressing thanks that he was neither a Gentile, a slave, or a woman!
A Hebrew man did not talk with women in the street—not even with his mother, sister, daughter or wife! (cf. Lightfoot 1979, 286-287). According to the most liberal view of Deuteronomy 24:1, a Hebrew husband could divorce his wife if she was found “familiarly talking with men” (Edersheim 1957, 157).
William Barclay even tells of a segment of the Pharisees known as the “bleeding and bruised” Pharisees. When they saw a woman approaching, they would close their eyes, hence, were running into things constantly! (1956, 142-143). And yet the Master addressed this woman: “Give me to drink.”
The Son of God, therefore, in one fell swoop, broke through two barriers—the one steeped in racial bigotry, the other a hurtful sexist disposition that distanced the man from one of the sweetest treasures of God’s creations.
(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
She is taken aback, but intrigued. “Who is this stranger who is willing to address me?”
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.