Thirsty?
JN 4:1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. More Church envy “I gotta get out of here” 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. - No Rabbi ever had to go through Samaria
Background Jews and Samaria
Samaria Map 1 - Samaria lay between Judea/Jerusalem and Galilee
Jews have no dealings with Samaritans - understatement of the world
Jewish prayers - “Lord, do not remember the Samaritan in the resurrection.”
Jewish saying: “May I never set eyes on a Samaritan.”
Josephus characterizes the Samaritans as idolaters and hypocrite. Religious similar to Jews but more liberal - intermarriage with Assyrians soiled their pure Hebrew blood. So they were ostracized - they built a different temple on Mt. Gerizim to offer Jewish sacrifices.
Samaria Map 2 So Jews would cross the Jordan river and skirt Samaria going out of their way
Samaria Map 3 - but not Rabbi Jesus - he walked through storms
I like the attitude of the King’s men - where is life the toughest? Where do people need Christ the most? Can that be my attitude? Easy to build a church that caters to Christians, but a church for those outside church! That is another story.
Read vs. 5-10
5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired (beat) as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. (Noon) 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. )
10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
Ministry happens on the way -
Never forget that!
Ministry doesn't wait until you are rested
Jesus is hungry, tired - imagine sending his disciples ahead. Was it just because he saw a woman heading down the path - and he didn't want his disciples to muck this outreach moment up? Could it be that Jesus was whipped? That God was tired - hungry - thirsty?
Ministry happens when you let go of prejudice
The rabbis taught: “Let no Israelite eat one mouthful of any thing that is a Samaritan’s; for if he eat but a little mouthful, he is as if he ate swine’s flesh”
And yet, the disciples are buying food in Sychar. Were they were beginning to be influenced by Jesus’ attitude towards all those fashioned in God's image?.
Ministry happens to those you least expect
Try to imagine the scene - veiled woman (show image of veiled woman) coming to the well at noon, hottest time of day, not early morning when all the other women came. When you see things out of place, go to God and listen.
The value of asking for help - was Jesus helpless or was he fishing?
How can you ask me for a drink? Not hostile - amazed - broken - overwhelmed.
We project our culture/ lives into the Bible. What’s the big deal with Jesus talking to a woman?
We need a little culture shock now and then to understand this story
Every mention of women in the Bible, every conversation, has to be seen with horror. No woman would touch a rabbis feet, washing them with tears, drying them with her hair. No woman would meet a risen Jesus and cling to him, no woman would be named as a disciple certainly - no rabbi would accept a cup of water from a Samaritan woman.
OT conferred dignity on women, it soon degraded to be more like the pagan in Jesus day. Woman had no right to own property, to speak in public, to ask for justice, to seek a divorce
A Hebrew man did not talk with women “in the street” — not even with his mother, sister, daughter or wife! Bleeding and bruised” Pharisees; Jewish men often started the day with a prayer Thank God, I am neither a Gentile, a slave, or a woman
Role of women changed so much with so many battles fought. 150 years ago women could not attend the university! Access to professions that required college education were stopped. Until mid 19th century, women had no rights to seek divorce from abusive relationships, and they had no rights to custody for children upon a divorce It took 1900 years from Jesus' day for women to get the right to vote. POP is a safe place for men and women to minister and serve!
What happened when Rabbi Jesus took the cup of water from this woman - he became unclean!
Read vs. 11-17 11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
16 He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
17 "I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
Gospel is too good to be true. Never thirst again! Let’s argue about that.
Of course she is thirsty, lets get back on that subject.
Lets not drink alone. Go get your husband.
You've had 5 husbands, yet there isn't the tinge of condemnation in His voice.
Jesus doesn't consider or treat her as unclean, even before she repented. Don't miss this!
Do we treat non-Christians as filthy, repulsive until they repent?
What are we disgusted with? Ourselves or them
Sin may be disgusting, but we all have it
Sin is the enemy, not people -
Never demonize people for their sinfulness - love them for they are made in the image of God!
Read vs. 19 - 26
19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
What is the reaction of a 5 time castoff woman - with no hope of dignity - or respect - from her own people let alone a Jew or a Rabbi at that?
She is blown away. Blown away by his knowledge, probably, but more so by His acceptance - her sin didn't make Jesus flinch!
We try to change the subject when Jesus gets close
Jesus cuts through the religious crap - it is not about where you worship, but who you worship
It is not about your rituals, but your relationship
God is Spirit - those who worship Him must worship him in spirit and truth.
Truth telling - sets you free - no longer have to hide.
Finally we close with an awesome moment
Who is this rabbi - never saw one like Jesus
There is no way to imagine her face - the experience going on inside this woman. She had heard rumors of a Messiah - when He comes, He will make everything right
He will explain God to us, He will set things right with our broken lives. He will save us, from the Romans, for each other, from ourselves. I know Messiah is coming. I can't wait for the day.
You're looking at Him Jesus says. You just heard Him teach. Lady - you just now whet his whistle!
You have to sit on that idea for a week or so before you can understand the impact of the rest of the story. - but we will save that for next Sunday - when this discarded woman becomes the most unlikely evangelist.
