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.
Comments
Post a Comment