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In John 4, Jesus makes the decision to go from Judea to Galilee (v.3). Samaria lay between the two. John 4:4 states, “But He needed to go through Samaria” (v.4). Most of us well know that the Jews and the Samaritans were bitter enemies. In fact, many Jews making the same trek Jesus was about to make would take a longer circuitous route just to avoid Samaritan soil. But Jesus needed to go through Samaria. Maybe He needed to go through there, not to save time, but for who He would encounter there.
While in Samaria, He found Himself at Jacob’s well near the city of Sychar. There He met a Samaritan woman of likely ill repute and struck up a conversation with her about water, her life, and spiritual matters (v.5-26). When Jesus’ disciples came back (they had gone into town to get food), they marveled that Jesus was speaking with a woman (v.27)!
Think about it: Jesus, a Jew, a man, in broad daylight, at a public place, talked to a woman, a Samaritan, with a bad reputation. This just did not happen in first-century Palestine. But Jesus did it. Maybe this is why Jesus “needed” to go through Samaria – to serve as an example of who we should be willing to approach in His name. We should be willing to talk to anybody and everybody.
Is there someplace you need to be today? Wherever it is, know that you can and should be able to talk to someone about water (i.e. small talk), their life, and spiritual matters.
The woman was quite surprised that Jesus talked to her (v.9). I’m confident it made her feel really good knowing He was willing to do so.
Talk to someone today. Let them know you are interested in them. Show them they are important. Help them to realize that they are valuable to God.
The result of Jesus talking to this woman is that she went and told others and many heard His teachings (v.28-30). As a result of this, many Samaritans believed in Jesus (v.39-42) – all because Jesus talked to one person. Talk to someone today.
Edd Sterchi
Broadway church of Christ
Campbellsville, KY