Jesus Among the Unknown
What do we make of a conversation with the Samaritan woman?
The conversation at the well between the Samaritan woman and Jesus is special. We have lots of stories of interaction between Jesus and others throughout the gospels. But John gives us a couple of much lengthier back-and-forth conversations that we would not otherwise have. This one can be considered the longest.
Details of the conversation aside for a moment, just think about that alone. Of all the interactions we’d want to know about - putting the religious leaders in their place, teaching the disciples, healings…of all these, among the gospel writers, John chose to devote the most space to a conversation between Jesus and an unknown, unnamed, likely marginalized woman who wasn’t even a mainstream Jew. (In fact, as John reminds us, Jews and Samaritans don’t associate with one another.)
This guy is different. This rabbi operates in ways that others would certainly not.
What does it tell us about who he was and is? How does this inform us about what he did and what he wants his followers to do? Where is the focus?
John 4:4-26
Jesus had to go through Samaria. He came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, which was near the land Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from his journey, so he sat down at the well. It was about noon.
A Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.” His disciples had gone into the city to buy him some food.
The Samaritan woman asked, “Why do you, a Jewish man, ask for something to drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (Jews and Samaritans didn’t associate with each other.)
Jesus responded, “If you recognized God’s gift and who is saying to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would be asking him and he would give you living water.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket and the well is deep. Where would you get this living water? You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave this well to us, and he drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks from the water that I will give will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will become in those who drink it a spring of water that bubbles up into eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will never be thirsty and will never need to come here to draw water!”
Jesus said to her, “Go, get your husband, and come back here.”
The woman replied, “I don’t have a husband.”
“You are right to say, ‘I don’t have a husband,’” Jesus answered. “You’ve had five husbands, and the man you are with now isn’t your husband. You’ve spoken the truth.”
The woman said, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you and your people say that it is necessary to worship in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you and your people will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You and your people worship what you don’t know; we worship what we know because salvation is from the Jews. But the time is coming—and is here!—when true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth. The Father looks for those who worship him this way. God is spirit, and it is necessary to worship God in spirit and truth.”
The woman said, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one who is called the Christ. When he comes, he will teach everything to us.”
Jesus said to her, “I Am—the one who speaks with you.”
Prayer
God,
Humanity places its attention on the most distracting things. It seems there are much more important situations to consider, but we turn our attention to the less crucial, more entertaining, spicy spectacles. Okay, I’ll be specific…wars abound and yet the media headlines the things of a soapy court trial. Natural disasters and human-created famines and plagues rage on and yet the kitsch of TikTok, Instagram, & Facebook is so darn cute. Yes, I know, I can’t solve all the world’s problems and I don’t even have nearly the capacity to care about each and every situation, but I feel like we could collectively do more if we collectively cared more.
Lord, I rest in the notion that your presence is keen on situations of suffering and unknown destruction. You are in the nooks and crannies of humanity. God, make yourself known to the unknown. As Jesus announced himself alone to a woman outside a Samaritan city, lead us, your followers today to see and know such people in such situations: the least, the last, and the lost. Make us to be in solidarity with those on the outs. And keep us inspired and encouraged when no one else seems to care.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.