THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

 

THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA

1Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.

4And he had to pass through Samaria. 5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “GIVE ME A DRINK.” 8(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

10Jesus answered her, “IF YOU KNEW THE GIFT OF GOD, AND WHO IT IS THAT IS SAYING TO YOU, ‘GIVE ME A DRINK,’ YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED HIM, AND HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU LIVING WATER.” 11The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”

13Jesus said to her, “EVERYONE WHO DRINKS OF THIS WATER WILL BE THIRSTY AGAIN, 14BUT WHOEVER DRINKS OF THE WATER THAT I WILL GIVE HIM WILL NEVER BE THIRSTY AGAIN. THE WATER THAT I WILL GIVE HIM WILL BECOME IN HIM A SPRING OF WATER WELLING UP TO ETERNAL LIFE.” 15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

 

16Jesus said to her, “GO, CALL YOUR HUSBAND, AND COME HERE.” 17The woman answered him, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “YOU ARE RIGHT IN SAYING, ‘I HAVE NO HUSBAND’; 18FOR YOU HAVE HAD FIVE HUSBANDS, AND THE ONE YOU NOW HAVE IS NOT YOUR HUSBAND. WHAT YOU HAVE SAID IS TRUE.” 19The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

21Jesus said to her, “WOMAN, BELIEVE ME, THE HOUR IS COMING WHEN NEITHER ON THIS MOUNTAIN NOR IN JERUSALEM WILL YOU WORSHIP THE FATHER.

22YOU WORSHIP WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW; WE WORSHIP WHAT WE KNOW, FOR SALVATION IS FROM THE JEWS.

23BUT THE HOUR IS COMING, AND IS NOW HERE, WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH, FOR THE FATHER IS SEEKING SUCH PEOPLE TO WORSHIP HIM.

                                                                                                                        24GOD IS SPIRIT, AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH.” 25The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”

26Jesus said to her, “I WHO SPEAK TO YOU AM HE.”

JOHN 4:1-26

COMMENTARY

Walking back from Jerusalem to Galilee, Jesus and his apostles were tired, and deciding to make a stop in Samaria, Lord JESUS decided to rest at the water well of Sychar while his disciples went to the nearest town to buy food.

While He was sitting, a local woman came to collect water from the well, and Jesus asked her for a cup of water.

Most probably the woman gave our Lord the water He requested, but surprised, seeing that He was obviously a Jew, asked Him how is it than being a Jew, He dared to ask her for water, since Jews considered the Samaritans, descendants of the Israelites that separated from Judea, a group of hybrid idolaters and apostates, and that it was a dishonor to speak or deal with them.

Knowing all this, JESUS said to the woman, that if she knew who was asking her for simple water, she would ask Him to give Him of his blessing, and here JESUS referred to the message of salvation that JESUS brought to the world, and the blessing of GOD for eternal life.

Without understanding this, the woman still questioned Him about common water, but JESUS, binging her back to the topic, said to her that the water He was offering was an eternal thirst quencher, and not common water that satisfies only for a moment.

The woman got curious, and requested Jesus to give her of that water, so Jesus asked her to bring her husband along. The woman said that she had no husband, since she was not in a committed relationship with the partner she had at the moment.

JESUS said, ‘rightly you have said that you have no husband, because you had five men, and the one you have now is not you husband’. Judging by the customs in those days, this let us assume that she had a partner, but their relationship was not legal, maybe because he was married, or he had been married to a sister of hers, or she was a widow of the man’s brother.

Now deeply surprised, she accepted that this knowledge could only come from a prophet who knows secrets, and she mentioned Him the fact that the Jews and Samaritans differ in their worship, hoping that Jesus could give her an answer.

But LORD JESUS revealed to her that the time is coming, when worship to GOD will not be bound to a certain place or temple or ritual, but will be open and be directed to GOD from anywhere, because it will be done by heart, and in proper knowledge of the truth.

After explaining to her that the proper adoration to GOD comes from the Jews, because they kept the truth unadulterated, and that they worship a GOD that they did not know, because of the corruption that they had let come into their worship, JESUS assured again that the time was there right now, when people will start worshipping GOD the right way (In truth) and by heart (In spirit), because GOD, being a Spirit, the only adoration He received was when it was done with an honest and open heart, and correctly, according to his will, without any material intermediary, like written prayers, or linked to places or times, or rituals.

Being a simple person, the lady answered unassured to Lord JESUS, that when the Messiah comes, He will explain to them everything.

And LORD JESUS, said: “I AM THAT MESSIAH”.

Omar Flores.