Saturday, February 23
Deuteronomy 11:18-28
Psalms 55, 138, 139
Hebrews 5:1-10
John 4:1-26
My
NIV Student Bible has many explanatory notes (thank goodness) and one in
particular makes the point that unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, where most of
Jesus’ encounters are with groups and/or crowds. John’s Gospel shows Jesus having one-on-one
conversations, starting with Philip and a secret meeting with Nicodemus, a
Pharisee. But this reading is about
Jesus’ one-on-one meeting and conversation with a promiscuous woman who also
happens to be a Samaritan.
It
seems certain that Jesus intentionally chose to go to Samaria since he took the
short-cut from Jerusalem to Galilee which took him through Samaria – “usually
avoided by Jews for over 700 years of religious and racial prejudice separated
Jews from Samaritans” (The Lion Handbook of the Bible). Upon arrival in Samaria, Jesus is hot, tired,
and thirsty and stops at Jacob’s well.
As we know from our early Sunday School lessons, Jesus was the first to
speak and asked for a drink of water.
The woman was astounded that he not only spoke to her, a woman, but to
make matters worse, a Samaritan woman.
After some back-and-forth between them, Jesus said who he was and could
give her “living water” and she would never be thirsty again. The conversation then evolved into her
personal life and promiscuity which prompted her to say, “Sir, I can see that
you are a prophet” and “I know the Messiah is coming.” This time Jesus’ response states explicitly
who he is with one of his “I am” statements, “I who speak to you am he.”
Just
think, this seemingly insignificant encounter resulted in many new converts,
both from the woman’s testimony and Jesus’ own words. Wouldn’t it be a real show of our own faith
in Jesus if all of us at Holy Spirit could follow the Samaritan woman’s
example?
Virginia McGarvey