Today’s passage: John 4:1-26
Helpful thoughts:
- The Samaritans were descendants of the northern tribes of Israel who had intermarried with the Assyrians after the fall of the northern kingdom. The Jews often traveled around the region of Samaria because they felt like traveling through Samaria defiled them.
- Gathering water from the well was a social activity. The fact that this woman came alone shows that she was an outcast even among her own people.
- Jesus ministered to an outcast among the outcasts (From the eyes of the Jews).
- The Samaritan woman tried to get Jesus on a tangent twice but she failed. He spoke the truth to her. As a sinner, she needed saving. He was the Messiah. She was welcomed into the family of God.
Questions to consider:
- When the woman tried to derail the conversation, how did Jesus get them back on track? Was He flustered? Was he fearful of her responses or clam up when He thought she wasn’t interested? Did he falsely affirm her views to keep her interest? How did Jesus truly love this woman by speaking the truth to her?
- Would the Jesus’ Jewish disciples have been prone to reach out to the Samaritans to believe and join them? What can we learn from the racial and cultural issues presented in this passage today?
- What is the right way to view other people? With our earthly view, we can have a tendency to be a little more excited about some people than others who believe and join the church. But, what does God see? What is His perspective? Who has he called the church to reach (Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8, James 2:1-7)?