John 4:1-9 CSB
When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than John [2] (though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), [3] he left Judea and went again to Galilee. [4] He had to travel through Samaria; [5] so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. [6] Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon. [7] A woman of Samaria came to draw water. "Give me a drink," Jesus said to her, [8] because his disciples had gone into town to buy food. [9] "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
Drawing Water
It is remarkably easy to despise an enemy—to lash out because of the past and eventually become the very thing we hate. This cycle of bitterness was the reality for the Jews and Samaritans of Jesus’ day. Their hatred was deeply rooted in religious disputes: the Jews believed the Father should be worshiped in Jerusalem, while the Samaritans claimed Mount Gerizim was His chosen dwelling place. They had even established their own temples, priests, and sacrificial systems to keep themselves separate.
This tension provides the backdrop for today’s verses. At this time, John the Baptist’s ministry was decreasing while Jesus’ ministry was growing. As His disciples baptized more followers, Jesus chose to travel through Samaria to avoid unnecessary confrontation with the religious leaders in Judea. Most Jewish travelers would go far out of their way to avoid this region, but our Lord is humble and always seeks the lost—those lambs that have strayed from the flock.
To show the Father’s love to these outcasts, Jesus deliberately went against every social, cultural, and religious bias of His time. While His disciples headed into town for food, Jesus sat by Jacob’s well at noon. The fact that a Samaritan woman arrived at the hottest part of the day, rather than the cool of the evening, suggests she was trying to avoid the judgment of her neighbors. She, like so many of us, felt tainted by the world. We often avoid others because we don’t feel “good enough,” but in this moment, Jesus shows how precious all of the Father’s creation is. We are beautifully made and cared for, even in the midst of our sin.
What is most striking is how Jesus initiated this connection. He didn’t start by bluntly pronouncing her theological errors or highlighting her moral wrongs. Instead, He began a conversation by simply asking for her help: “Give me a drink.”
This approach reminds me of my time as a teacher. Whether I was working in the inner city with students who joined gangs for protection or in rural areas with students lashing out at their circumstances, I encountered a lot of rebellion. These students often made learning miserable for everyone around them. I eventually learned that the best way to help was not to demand they act a certain way, but to build a genuine relationship. I was always surprised to find that the most disruptive student would often turn a corner if I simply asked them for help with a task in class. It was a place to start—a small bridge built on mutual need rather than a lecture.
Jesus was doing the same thing. By asking for a drink, He was opening a door to someone who would otherwise have every reason to keep it shut. We see another lesson reinforced in today’s scripture—the same lesson the Apostle Peter would eventually learn in Acts chapter 10. When Peter was sent to the Roman Centurion, Cornelius, he finally understood the message Jesus had modeled years earlier at the well: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
Today, we should ask ourselves: Who do we have a bias against who simply needs to hear the message of the Lord? Like Jesus, perhaps we should start the conversation not with a sermon, but with a simple bridge.
Reflection Questions
- The woman went to the well at noon to avoid being seen. Are there areas in your life where you “hide” from others because you feel you aren’t good enough?
- Jesus ignored the “religious rules” of His day to reach someone’s heart. Are there cultural or social “rules” today that prevent us from sharing the Father’s love?
- How does the truth that “God doesn’t show favoritism” change the way you look at the people in your community who are different from you?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You that You do not show favoritism. Thank You for seeking us out even when we are trying to hide in the heat of the day. Help us to see the “outcasts” around us with Your eyes. Give us the humility to build bridges instead of walls, and the courage to start conversations that lead others to Your love.
Amen.
