This story comes from John 4:6-28, (this will be pretty broken up, as I will be pulling from random verses in that section). I also am using a lot from the book The Day I Met Jesus by Frank Viola and Mary Demuth, I highly recommend reading it! This is the story of the encounter of the Samaritan Woman and Jesus at the well in Samaria.
To fully understand the significance of the story, we need to better understand the history of the Jews and the Samaritans. Samaritans were of a mixed ethnicity and religion. They were not Jews, but they did practice some elements of Judaism and worshiped Yahweh along with other Gods. (Ezra 4:2, 9, 10). The Jews considered the Samaritans to be half-breeds. They were hostile toward each other in regards to cultural and religious practices and sites of worship (Luke 9:53).
As we approach the scene in John 4 – the well in Samaria at midday – there were invisible lines drawn in the sand; cultural lines, religious lines, ethnic lines and gender lines around that particular well. Normally, Jewish men did not speak to women in public (John 4:27). The Jewish attitude toward women was less than ideal. The Old Testament afforded great dignity to womanhood (Prov. 31:10), the Hebrews over the years had taken on some of the attitudes of paganism, because of this many Jewish men woke up, prayed to God thanking Him that they were not a Gentile, slave or woman.
It got to the point where a Hebrew man wouldn’t talk to any woman in public, not his mother, sister, daughter, or wife. According to Deuteronomy 24:1 a Hebrew husband could divorce his wife if she was found “familiarly talking with men.” The beauty of Jesus? He’s not afraid to cross lines. In one fell swoop, he broke two barriers, the one of racial bigotry, and the other a hurtful sexist disposition that distanced the man from one of the sweetest treasures of God’s Creations.
Now here we are. Jesus and his disciples were traveling from Judah to Galilee, while traveling they went through Samaria and stopped in a town called Sychar, which was near the property that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. (v. 5). Jesus, weary from his travel, stopped to rest at Jacob’s well, while the disciples continued into town to get food.
Before we dive into the beauty of the restoration, we should learn a little more about this woman. As referenced in John 4:18 this woman had had 5 husbands. Her first, named Hezron, had met her for the first time at Jacob’s well (remember this, it will be important). He spoke words of love, and affection. He spoke of their kids, “carrying her beauty and wit.” (p.g. 80) She drank in his words like they were water from the well, saturating her thirst. However, his love only lasted 4 months, because she was unable to get pregnant. After 6 months of marriage, his word became harsh, “What kind of womb refuses my gift?” They became seed of unworthiness in her heart. Then nine months passed. His family became another bad voice in his head, calling her “barren” and “worthless”. She visited doctors, and midwives with special potions. Then nine months turned into a year. Still no baby.
His next words of condemnation, hit her shattered heart like a dagger, “You are an unfit wife.” These words broke my heart as I sit here, because she couldn’t have kids, and struggled with infertility, he found her unfit. My husband and I have been trying for 2 years and the thought that someone could say that to their wife, is a possibility I struggle with everyday. What if he leaves me? What if I am an unfit wife?
Then he gave her a Certificate of Divorce, already signed. A decree proving her barrenness, a valid reason for divorce in those times. She left his house, barefoot and homeless. She stood under the sun, beneath the fickle affections of a God who didn’t answer her prayers. A few years go by and she marries again. Same situation, he leaves her because who wants a barren wife? This is a statement she began to speak over her life as two more husbands come and go into her life, no one wants a barren woman, no matter how much she gives.
Then she meets Judah. Judah changed everything. He shared his story, and she shared hers. Later he asks her to marry him, her response? “I am barren. I can give you no children.” His response, with such love and compassion, “I want a wife not a mother.” They marry in secret and commenced a companionship life together. I imagine for the first time in a long time she was happy. Then Judah gets sick, then 118 short days later he is gone too, buried on the hill with her parents.
A few years later, she meets another man. He uses all the words her first husband did, words like beautiful, love and want. He seduced her and told her she was safe. Then as they are laying in his bed, after sleeping with her, he tells her three words she didn’t expect. “I am married.” But those words were followed by a proposal. “You are useful to me”, he says. “You are alone, you need food, and water, and shelter. You will be my worker. Live in my house, take care of my children. Do the work so my wife doesn’t have to labor, and then in the evening….” (p.g. 86) She knew what he meant. She had come to this point in her life where she knew she was designed to be used. So the next morning she got up to go to the well to gather water.
As he was resting, a Samaritan woman approached the well with her jar, to get water. I imagine she was expecting to be ignored (she was a woman, and He was a Jew), and much to her surprise Jesus spoke to her. “Give me a drink,” He said (v. 7). Her response could have been expressed with either a bite of animosity or surprise. “How is it that you, a Jew, would ask something of me, a Samaritan Woman?” (v. 9) Either way I feel like she would be surprised, of course, but also a little scared.
As she gathered his water, He spoke to her about a Living Water. He says, “Everyone who drinks this water, will get thirsty again (the water from the well). But whoever drinks from the water that I will give to him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will grant him eternal life (v. 14). After this encounter, she still questions Him, because she still thinks he is referring to the water from the well. She even accuses him of not being any better than their father Jacob who built the well.
After this encounter, an amazing thing happens. The Samaritan woman was obviously in need for salvation and an interest in the things divine. Jesus determines, the next step was to bring their discussion to a topic closer to home. In order to do this, He must accomplish two things. First, He must penetrate her conscience with a sense of sin. Second, it is important that He establishes His authority as the Christ.
“Go call your husband, and return,” He instructed. (v. 16).
Abruptly, she dropped the “Sir” and shot back, “I don’t have a husband!” (v. 17).
His response was straight forward, “You’ve told the truth. For you’ve had five husbands and the man you now have is not your husband.” (v.17b). The point being that she was in a sinful relationship and she needed salvation that only He could offer her. It must have been a startling realization to her that this STRANGER had been able to expose details of her life that he couldn’t have possibly known naturally. She later states, “I know that the Messiah is coming. When He comes He will explain everything to us.” (v. 25). And the story ends with an amazing revelation, that changed her life forever, “I, the One speaking to you, am He.” (v. 26).
Moral of her story:
1) Her sin did not keep her from Salvation.
2) Her Sin did not keep her from being able to share her testimony. (v. 39-42).
3) The city was saved because of her joy of freedom.
My Life Through His Eyes 