Three stories in the Gospels have been used countless times as illustrations for a host of spiritual teachings: the stories of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son and the story of Jesus' encounter with the Woman at the Well. It's a challenge to discover new truths from the instructions in these lessons. Our scripture this week is about the anonymous Samaritan woman.
What's not new: Over the centuries, Bible experts have noted this woman was one of the most marginalized persons of Jesus' time and place – a heretical Samaritan, a woman (by custom, inferior to any man), and enmeshed in shaming, marital and extramarital dysfunctions.
So I'll tease this idea a little: only Jesus or the woman must have related the story of their encounter. Why? No one else was present and no hidden audiovisual team to record it. Here's the last portion of their exchange.
The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not know. We worship what we know because salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (the one called Christ); "whenever he comes, he will tell us everything." Jesus said to her, "I, the one speaking to you, am he."
John 4:19-26 NET
I can see the smile in Jesus' eyes as he described the dialogue that transpired in his disciples' absence. I wonder what his crew later discussed amongst themselves.
In the first part of the dialogue recorded above, notice that the woman distanced herself from Jesus with the phrase "you people". He mirrored that phrase back to her but closed the gap between them with "but a time is coming—and now is here—". Jesus thus engaged her in ardent theological conversation, expressly unveiling his full identity.
As you've read the Gospels, you may have noticed that Jesus rarely revealed himself openly as "Messiah". But he gave this obscure woman the dignity of respecting both her intellect and ability to absorb profound theological truth and – she "got'' him*.
* A twist of the "Jesus, he gets us" slogan in a current media campaign.
How might this story apply when we hesitate to discuss Jesus' good news with those who, on the surface, seem so unlike us – especially if they deliberately distance themselves from us? Have we underestimated the hunger these outsiders have for discussions with theological depth?
Pray God would remove unfounded fear and lead you into encounters with those from divergent backgrounds who might be thirsty for penetrating truths about Jesus.
by Kathleen Petersen
