John 4:1-10

John 4:1-10

Now when Jesus knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus makes and baptizes many disciples more than John – although Jesus Himself was not baptizing but His disciples were – He departed from Judea and again went away from Galilee.  And it was necessary for Him to go through Samaria.  Then He came into a city of Samaria called Sychar, nearby to the piece of land that Jacob gave to Joseph his son.  And the well of Jacob was there.  Therefore Jesus, who had become weary out of the journey, was sitting down there upon the well.  It was the sixth hour.  A woman out of Samaria comes to draw water.  Jesus says to her, “Give me something to drink.”  For His disciples had gone away into the city in order that they should buy food.  Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How do you, while being a Jew, ask to drink from me, while being a Samaritan woman?”  For the Jews do not have dealings with the Samaritans.  Jesus answered and said to her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give to me to drink,’ you may have asked Him and He may have given water of life to you.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Jesus knew that his presence near John the Baptizer was only going to continue to cause more trouble.  In the last section we heard that John’s own disciples were getting jealous.  Jesus knew that if the Pharisees recognized His growing popularity that they would begin to focus upon Him more and more.  Therefore, He leaves.  Rather than become a problem, He walks away.  This is not to say that Jesus always walks away.  Rather, it is to say that in this particular instance Jesus understands that the Kingdom of God will be furthered by walking away rather than staying around for the fight.  There is always a balance in a life of faith.  Some battles are worth fighting.  As we see here, some battles are worth avoiding – at least in the short term.

Do you have what it takes to walk away from a fight rather than engage in it?  How is this possible?

Second Thought:

When Jesus wanted to leave Galilee and head south, he had three possible routes.  He could have gone along the coast to the west, he could have crossed the Jordan and traveled through the wilderness to the east, or he could go straight through the land of the Samaritans.  The Jews did not go into Samaria because of a long standing feud between the people.  The Samaritans were those who had come back from Babylonian exile and allowed their blood to mingle with the blood of the Gentiles who had taken possession of the land during the exile.  The Jews couldn’t accept that impurity.  However, this is the very route that Jesus chooses.  Jesus is not afraid of impurity.  As we’ll see in the coming story, He is not afraid of sin.  He is not afraid to get a little dirty in life.  He goes where He is needed, not where He will be kept clean.

Is this an attribute of Jesus’ that you can follow?  Where are you willing to go and what are you willing to do?

Third Thought:

Jesus intentionally interacts with the woman.  However, His methodology is unique.  He initiates the interaction, but He does so in a way that allows the woman to approach Him.  He starts the conversation, but she starts the theology.  Jesus simply asks her for a drink.  She opens up to Him and provides Him the opportunity to speak into her life.  She is the one that reminds Jesus about the feud between the Jews and the Samaritans – a feud that certainly seems more one-directional than two-directional, for the record.  Jesus then speaks into her opening.

Are you putting yourself in positions where people can come into your life?  How so?  How are you speaking into those times where people are coming into your life?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 4:11-15