The Samaritan Woman

From Shame To Evangelist

READ John 4:1–42

Christ’s encounter with the Samaritan woman has long been one of my favorite conversations recorded in the Bible. The scene is set as Jesus traveled north with his disciples from Judea back to his home territory of Galilee. Between these two Jewish regions was territory inhabited by the Samaritans, a group of people the Jews did not care for (John 4:9). Samaritans were considered heretics, descendants of the northern tribes of Israel who had married Gentile neighbors. The Jews, on the other hand, were descendants of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and prided themselves on not having intermarried with their neighbors. When Jews journeyed between the regions of Galilee and Judea, they often crossed over the Jordan River rather than going straight through the Samaritan territory, preferring a longer trip over encountering Samaritans.

Yet Jesus took the direct route. He led the disciples to the Samaritan town of Sychar, where they left him to go find food. Jesus waited at Jacob’s well, and around noon, a woman came to draw water. The time is significant. Women drawing water would usually come early in the morning. The fact that this woman was drawing water in the heat of the day indicates that she didn’t want to encounter the other women in town.

Jesus began the conversation innocently enough, asking for some water—though the fact that a Jewish rabbi would talk to a Samaritan woman at all was quite a surprise to her. Jesus went on to tell her that he could offer her living water, “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (v. 14). The woman was intrigued. But then Jesus abruptly changed the subject: “Go, call your husband and come back” (v. 16).

Immediately her shame set in. Jesus knew what he was doing and revealed that he knew everything about her. She’d had five husbands and was now living with a man who wasn’t her husband. No wonder she went to the well when she did—everyone in town probably told stories about her.

Christ’s kindness and invitation to this Samaritan woman is another beautiful reality of a profound and hopeful truth. Each one of us has personal regrets, and perhaps yours are many and painful. Remember that Christ already knows your story, so you don’t need to hide it. Take comfort in the fact that Jesus doesn’t see you for what you’ve done. He looks at you with eyes of compassion, knowing what God’s grace can bring about in your life.

The Bible says that many in the town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony. Their experience didn’t end with her story, though. They then went on to experience Jesus for themselves, and their belief became even deeper (v. 42). Like this transformed woman who went from sketchy past to passionate evangelist, we should seek to be stepping stones for others’ faith. When we share with them what Jesus has done in our lives, God can use our stories and testimonies to open hearts to him. We should be faithful witnesses to the love and truth of Christ. Ultimately, however, the work of conversion is God’s alone. It’s God’s Spirit who regenerates hearts to new life in Christ. All we are called to do, like the woman, is to faithfully witness and to leave the rest to Jesus.