Bridge Building Par Excellence
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. John 4:7-9, NKJV
The apostle John loves a good story. His first one was about Nicodemus, the rich ruler of the Jews. This one is about a Samaritan outcast. The individuals involved have almost nothing in common. What holds them together is the fact that Jesus "knew what was in man" (John 2:25, RSV). Both stories illustrate that truth.
The setting for John 4 is the province of Samaria, which in Jesus' day was wedged in between the Jewish lands of Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. Right in the midst of those two political entities so concerned with religious and racial purity was Samaria, a land anything but pure. Both its people and its religion were a mixture of the Jewish and the pagan. As a result, Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans, who were more than willing to return the favor. In typical Near East fashion, the Jews and Samaritans had been in a bitter quarrel for more than 400 years.
And then Jesus stops to rest while His disciples are off finding something to eat. While He waits, a Samaritan woman shows up at midday to get some water from Jacob's well. At that point Jesus does the unthinkable--He asks her for a favor.
That very act speaks volumes about Jesus. First, it demonstrates His humanity. Like us, He got hungry and thirsty. That is important in the Gospel that most emphasizes His divinity. Second, it indicates that something about Him led the woman not to just ignore or flee from Him. She sensed that here was a person who was warm and sympathetic.
Third, Jesus was a bridge builder who was willing to transcend the hatreds and prejudices of His time and place. That breaking down of barriers, however, was not merely between races but also barriers of social custom sanctified by age. Jewish teachers were not allowed to talk to women in public, let alone one with a notorious character. That is evident in her reply to Him: "You are asking a favor from me, a Samaritan woman!" Unheard of. But here we find our Lord demonstrating that God loves the world not merely in theory, but also in practice.
How is it with me? Am I a bridge builder like my Lord? If not, why not?
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. John 4:7-9, NKJV
The apostle John loves a good story. His first one was about Nicodemus, the rich ruler of the Jews. This one is about a Samaritan outcast. The individuals involved have almost nothing in common. What holds them together is the fact that Jesus "knew what was in man" (John 2:25, RSV). Both stories illustrate that truth.
The setting for John 4 is the province of Samaria, which in Jesus' day was wedged in between the Jewish lands of Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. Right in the midst of those two political entities so concerned with religious and racial purity was Samaria, a land anything but pure. Both its people and its religion were a mixture of the Jewish and the pagan. As a result, Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans, who were more than willing to return the favor. In typical Near East fashion, the Jews and Samaritans had been in a bitter quarrel for more than 400 years.
And then Jesus stops to rest while His disciples are off finding something to eat. While He waits, a Samaritan woman shows up at midday to get some water from Jacob's well. At that point Jesus does the unthinkable--He asks her for a favor.
That very act speaks volumes about Jesus. First, it demonstrates His humanity. Like us, He got hungry and thirsty. That is important in the Gospel that most emphasizes His divinity. Second, it indicates that something about Him led the woman not to just ignore or flee from Him. She sensed that here was a person who was warm and sympathetic.
Third, Jesus was a bridge builder who was willing to transcend the hatreds and prejudices of His time and place. That breaking down of barriers, however, was not merely between races but also barriers of social custom sanctified by age. Jewish teachers were not allowed to talk to women in public, let alone one with a notorious character. That is evident in her reply to Him: "You are asking a favor from me, a Samaritan woman!" Unheard of. But here we find our Lord demonstrating that God loves the world not merely in theory, but also in practice.
How is it with me? Am I a bridge builder like my Lord? If not, why not?
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