THE SAMARITAN WOMAN KNOWING AND TELLING OF CHRIST W ayne Brewer Introduction Have you ever met someone and just did not know what to ink about at person? Eier due to eir personality, character or just e situation at hand, you just did not know what to ink. Do I take em seriously or not? Are ey invading my personal space and privacy or not? Am I invading eir privacy or personal space? I m sure at is has happened to you at sometime and possibly even here. Often when we first meet someone it is often easy to misunderstand because we don t know em well, or to be misunderstood, and so we just don t know what to ink. In our study from e book of John today we have just such an occasion. W e find at ere are two people who meet one anoer, not having known one anoer before. These two individuals come from very different backgrounds, ways of life, religions, enic groups, cultures, and even from different moral fiber. It is easy to see e uneasiness at exists, especially on e part of e Samaritan woman as ey begin to converse. Alough is Samaritan woman was also quite different from e Jewish religious leaders, it is evident at she has a far superior attitude. Behind e scene of is event are e Pharisees, whose attitude can be seen very clearly from what John has written. It is evident at ey are people who want only to stand in unrighteous judgment of Jesus (John 1:1-4). They were not interested in seeking, finding, nor obeying e tru, but only setting emselves up as judges of oer based upon eir own personal ideas, opinions and traditions (John 1:24-27, Matew 15:1-9). It may be for is reason Jesus must needs go rough Samaria (John 1:4), because ere he would have an opportunity to preach e tru to e Samaritan woman at e well (John 4:5-7). The Samaritan woman was knowing and telling of Christ. By e event of is day and by what is woman came to know we can come to have a greater knowledge and appreciation for Jesus, his work and will. W hat did she learn? THE WOMAN CAME TO KNOW OF THE TRUE JESUS That Jesus Was a Human Being No doubt e woman s first observance of Jesus was at he was tired because as John says, Jesus erefore, being wearied wi his journey, sat us on e well (John 4: 6). This woman could see very easily at Jesus was tired, worn out by e look in e eyes, e appearance of his face and e way at he was sitting. She also knew very quickly at Jesus was irsty because e first recorded words spoken by Jesus were give me to drink (John 4: 7), and we know at he was hungry because his disciples were gone away into e city to buy meat (John 1:8). The woman at e well first sees e humanity of Jesus. Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 1 to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, 15331 East 39 Street, Independence, MO 64055.
This is important because e Son of God was also e Son of Man who came from heaven to ear was to put on humanity, to serve humanity (Matew 20:28),and was to live as we do, experiencing all e pain and problems at we do, and ultimately die on e cross in human form, suffering for us (Isaiah 53:1-12, Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 2:9, 1 Peter 2:21). The woman learned at Jesus was human, e Son of Man. That Jesus Was Not Bound by e Prejudices or Traditions of Oers The woman at e well also noticed very quickly at Jesus was a male Jew, and at he was speaking to her, and she responds, How is it at ou, being a Jew, aske drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For e Jews have no dealings wi e Samaritans (John 4:9). She was exactly right on bo counts. A Jewish man would have been far too arrogant and tradition bound to even speak to a lowly woman, especially a Samaritan woman, and maybe especially to is woman. However, is woman at e well learned at Jesus was not bound by e prejudices, hatred or traditions of oers. Jesus did not come to is ear to uphold or be bound by e traditions of men at were in error, and no human being is to be bound by e erroneous traditions of men. Jesus would say, And ye shall know e tru, and e tru shall make you fee (John 8:32). W hat she found in Jesus was someing or someone very different who would only be bound by e word and will of God, and actually opposed e false doctrines and attitudes of e Jewish religious leaders (Matew 15:3-9, Matew 23:23-26). One lesson at we learn from Jesus on is occasion is at Jesus never possessed an attitude of arrogance toward anoer human being no matter what eir status in life might be. Those who would criticize Jesus and Christianity need only to look at his example of how he treated women, wi e utmost respect, and actually elevating eir status in is world. Anoer great lesson at we learn from Jesus is at we are not bound by e traditions of ose who often would appear to be e most religious leaders of e broerhood. The broerhood of e Scribes and e Pharisees were trying to include and exclude by eir traditions. Today we are not bound by broerhood Scribes or Pharisees. That Jesus Was e Messiah The woman was surprised by e fact at Jesus had spoken to her, and at first was some what skeptical of Jesus and even questions him regarding what he was saying, and we can easily see why. Here is a woman from a very worldly situation and Jesus is speaking about spiritual ings (John 4:10-12). However, as e conversation wi Jesus progresses she came to understand at he was a prophet (John 4:19), and as Jesus teaches her more she learn at Jesus is not only a prophet, but is actually e Messiah (John 4:25-26). Alough her idea of e Messiah may have been some what different an e tru, due to having been taught e Samaritan traditions, but e fact remains at when is woman went to Jacob s well to get water on at day she came to know more about Jesus an many of e Jews knew or would come to know. She came to know e real Jesus: human, e Son of Man, e one not bound by e traditions of men, and e one who was e true Messiah, e Son of God. Even Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 2 to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, 15331 East 39 Street, Independence, MO 64055.
ough Jesus was very tired, hungry and irsty on at day, it must have been very satisfying to know at is woman had a humble heart willing to be reached wi e gospel. THE WOMAN CAME TO KNOW OF THE TRUE PLAN FOR MARRIAGE That One Cannot Escape God s Plan In order to demonstrate to e woman at he was e true Messiah Jesus talked about himself in spiritual terms, and also began to talk about ings in at woman s life at he could have never known unless by some supernatural means (John 4:13-18). At first she seems to kind of try to ignore what Jesus is saying or in oer words say, W hat are you talking about? when she says to Jesus, I have no husband (John 4: 17). W i e two-fold purpose of trying to teach her at he is e true Messiah and save her soul a e same time he responds (John 4:17-18). One ing was obvious: alough she may have tried to escape or hide from e discussion of e topic, no matter whom she was or what she said she could not escape God s true plan for marriage designed from e beginning. The tru was at she had been married to five different men and was now living wi someone who was not her husband. This may very well explain why she came to e well at noon (John 4:6) when it was customary for e women to come to e well later in e cool of e day. W hy did she come to e well when no one else would have normally been ere? She probably came at at hour, most believe, because she was an outcast, an outcast who needed to know e tru. That Jesus Clearly Taught God s Plan W hile Jesus did not go into detail about God s plan, he was teaching it to her by what he was asking and saying. He was saying to her at e plan of God for marriage is for all humanity and not just e Jews or as some says now, Christians (Matew 19:4-9). In e beginning God created Adam and Eve and at he set in order marriage, at ey were to be one, and it was not God s will at man put em asunder, or in oer words at ey get a divorce. From e beginning is was e God instituted plan (Matew 19:4-6) and divorce and remarriage were not part of e plan. However, from e words of Jesus we understand at ere is only one God auorized reason for an acceptable divorce and remarriage (Matew 19:9). Jesus said, except it be for fornication (KJV), except for fornication (ASV), in e Greek, mé epi porneia ( ). Thayer says at e word porneia ( ) is used for illicit sexual intercourse in general (Thayer 532), and Vines provides e same definition (Vines 125). Someing illicit is at which is not allowed by law, which in is case would be e higher law of e will of God. The exception en is: if one s spouse is sexually active outside of e marriage bed, which is sanctioned by God and to be held in honor (Hebrews 13:4), only en would one have e right to remarry someone else who is eligible according to e words of Jesus, wheer any involved are Christians or not. THE WOMAN CAME TO KNOW OF THE TRUE PLAN FOR WORSHIP True Worship to God Is Not Based Upon Tradition Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 3 to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, 15331 East 39 Street, Independence, MO 64055.
As e woman comes to a greater understanding of Jesus she brings up e topic of worship (John 4:19-20). From her perspective a very good question and so Jesus teaches her e tru regarding is important subject (John 4:21-22). The Samaritans worship had come to be merely be a mixture of human tradition wi some of e word of God, which in effect had perverted eir whole outlook and inking toward God and worship. Essentially ey were not doing anying right and at is exactly what mixing human traditions wi e word of God do. It changes one s outlook and inking to where one cannot even see at ere is a true worship. True Worship to God is based Upon God s Desire Jesus teaches her and us at true worship must be based upon what God wants and not on what we want, at true worship is to be in spirit and in tru (John 4:24-24). Many of e Jews and e Samaritans worshiped, as do many people today, sometimes even members of e church, out of an inadequate ritualism and ceremony, and according to eir own will which comes far short of God s plan. Jesus said at God is seeking one who will worship him from e heart and mind, intelligently, sincerely, genuinely, and according to his revealed will, at is in spirit and in tru (John 4:23-24). This woman learned at ere was more to worship an what she had seen, and possible had even had rejected. She came to know e true plan for worship was at we must give ourselves personally to worship by participating whole heartedly and only do ose ings as a part of worship at God desires. THE WOMAN CAME TO KNOW OF THE TRUE PLAN OF SALVATION The Plan is at Believers Must Teach or Tell e Plan W ouldn t it be wonderful if every member of e church had e kind of zeal and courage at his woman had (John 4:25-30)? She could have easily walked away from e well on at day, inking about Jesus, but not telling anyone about him, however, e woman leaves her water pot at e well and goes to tell oers about Jesus, e Messiah. W hen we ink of her probable lowly place in e community, and e Bible says at she went and told e men (John 4:28), at is impressive. She could have walked away from e well on at day wi her water pot filled and told nobody about e conversation at she had had wi Jesus. She could have returned and told only a few of her female friends, but no, she goes to who would have been e leaders of e community, maybe taking quite a chance to do so, and tells em come see a man who is quite possibly e Christ. W hat is even more interesting is at ey went out of e city, and came unto him (John 4:30). W hile e religious leaders of e Jews were rejecting Jesus, ese outcasts up in Samaria were willing to listen and examine e evidence. W hat a lesson! W here does at leave us? The plan is at believers must tell oers of Jesus (Mark 16:15, Matew 28:19). W here does at leave us? I believe at one of e reasons at so many congregations of e Lord s church today are smaller in number an ey were in e past is not only because of e effects of liberalism, Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 4 to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, 15331 East 39 Street, Independence, MO 64055.
because also because many sound members of e church have not taken seriously e command to tell it. This lowly Samaritan woman told it. The Plan is at everyone must Hear, Believe, and Respond to e Savior (John 4:39-42) W e see here e personal responsibility at everyone has toward Jesus Christ and his gospel. These people personally went to talk wi and listen to Jesus. They and many oers believed because of his own word, at is e word of Jesus. They make it very clear at ey believe in Jesus, ey are responding to Jesus not by hearsay, but because ey personally heard e message of Jesus. W hile we cannot hear e literal voice of Jesus as ey did, we can hear e message of Jesus rough e New Testament, and we can believe at message and respond to it as did ese Samaritans, all because a lowly Samaritan woman listened to Jesus and told oers. W e can obey e gospel of Jesus Christ as Samaritans would do some time later when Philip went ere to preach (Acts 8:12). Conclusion The woman at e well came to know e true Jesus, e Jesus who was a man, who was not bound by e traditions of oers and who was e Christ, e Son of God. She came to learn at God has a plan for marriage, for worship, and salvation. W e should all imitate e attitude of is woman at we may be open to learning e same trus at she learned and put into her life. Works Cited Thayer, Joseph Henry (1977). Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of e New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House Vine, W. E. (1966). An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 5 to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, 15331 East 39 Street, Independence, MO 64055.