The Samaritan Woman at the Well

It shouldn't be a shock that the Samaritan woman was surprised to see Jesus was talking to her.  At the time, Samaritans were highly disliked by the Jews, who of which held Samaritans in a lower standard than the Gentiles. For Jesus, a Jew, to be speaking to the Samaritan woman was extremely rare and probably a very peculiar situation, especially for the woman.

Many times it is said that God is no respecter of persons. This means he doesn't hold one person higher than another for any reason. He judges people on their hearts, not as the world judges them. As most Jews would take the long way around Samaria when traveling to Galilee, Jesus purposely went through Samaria. Not only did he not care for the status the world has set but I’m sure he also wanted to share the gospel and teach those around him.

Jesus Christ leads by example. By showing his disciples how he treated others he was mentally preparing them for how they should treat others as well. Eventually this kindness towards others would coincide with doctrine later in the scriptures that they should preach to all the nations; Jew and Gentile. Jesus was slowly teaching them what kind of people they should be and that all men should be treated as equals.

Throughout John chapter 4 the Samaritan woman’s attitude gradually changed the longer she conversed with Jesus.  To me there are small evidences. When Jesus firsts addresses her she replies with what seems to be not only confusions but maybe also a little contempt and wary. She doesn't seem sure about the situation at hand. A little while on she starts to address Christ as “Sir” and starts to ask him questions and accept him. Later on after Christ shares details about her life that he could have known she says “I perceive that thou art a prophet” and eventually after Christ confesses that he is the Christ, she tells people back home who he is and they follow her to meet him.  This woman went from skepticism to belief within a short conversation with Christ.

Over the years I have felt a little like this Samaritan woman. Although I grew up in the church there was a moment in my life where I was skeptic of the gospel and just didn't understand it. But eventually I hit a point in my life where I made an effort to get to know my Heavenly Father and through doing so I have been able to hold a great relationship with him. I have seen his influence in my life and he has been able to provide me with insight that I could not have foreseen.  Because of what I now know about the gospel I have a greater responsibility to make good decisions and to choose the right and it is something that I strive to do every day.

Eventually this woman’s testimony and he sharing of what Christ told and taught her, helped change the hearts of the people in her community who eventually believed themselves after they had met Christ. There is a particular scripture (John 4:42) that reminds me of the fact that we hear other people’s testimonies, but we do not gain a true testimony unless we personally search out Christ and learn from him.

The Lord often talks about the “Living water” and at the time, like this Samaritan woman, it took a while before they understood what he meant by “living water”. Christ said 

“Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give 

him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give

 him shall be in him a well of water springing

 up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14) 

This scripture speaks of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that when we drink of it, our spirits will never thirst for the truth because we will have it. Many people in this world do not wish to know the truth. As it says in Jeremiah 2:13:

 “They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and

 hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns,

 that can hold no water.”

This world is full of people that do not want to hear the truth. They do not want to drink of the living water, and their reasoning’s we may never know or understand. However Christ’s “living water”, his gospel, is what will bring our spirits comfort, peace, and help us to never thirst for truth again. We must be as the Samaritan woman. We must listen, with maybe a little wariness at first, for many people teach of Christ but few teach correctly. If we listen and learn we will know in our hearts if what we are being taught is correct. Then after we have our own testimonies we can help others find their way back to Christ and help them drink of the living waters that they may never thirst again.