Jesus Satisfies

When we think of the most outcast people in our society, who do we think of? Who has the hardest time making friends?  Is it the poor, who must beg, take hand-outs, or work multiple jobs to make it by? Is it the minority? Is it the socially awkward Star Wars geek? 

In John 4:1-30, Jesus deals with someone who would be absolutely the least influential person in Israel. It would be completely unthinkable for the Messiah to even speak to this person. Put yourself in his position as he approached the woman at the well. 

She was a Samaritan. We sometimes forget that Samaritans were outcasts in Jesus' day or how bad it was. Jews had no dealings with them. They were half-breeds that were not allowed into the temple because of their intermarriage with Gentiles. They created their own temple in Dan and set up a golden calf to worship. Jews hated the Samaritans due to years of conflict between the nations, but it was the Samaritans' idolatry and claim to know YHWH that really infuriated the Jews. A Jew would have to overcome some major prejudices to even speak to a Samaritan, much less THIS Samaritan.

If I were to compare them with someone today, I would compare the relationship between Jews and Samaritans to the relationship between Christians and Muslims. At the mere mention of the words Islam, Quran, Muslim, some of you reading this right now have strong emotions stirring up. Like the Samaritans' religion is derived the Jews' religion, Islam is derived from ours (and Judaism and Sabeanism). They claim to know our God. Despite the call for peace, tensions between us and them are sharp and deeply rooted. A Muslim living in the Bible belt is not always welcomed. A Christian living in Iraq, is not always treated well.  

She was a woman. Women in the first century weren't exactly as well... equal... back then. While not allowed to divorce her husband, she could be divorced for "any cause"  which was the legal term cited in Matthew 19:3.  She had little to no right to property. Males took the inheritance, unless there wasn't a male to take it; then her husband would get it. Her (first) marriage was probably arranged. Speaking of Marriages... 

She was probably an outcast within her own society. I say this for multiple reasons. First, some have argued that since she was going to get water at the hottest part of the day, that meant that she was doing it to avoid people. She may have been trying to avoid people because of her husband issue... Jesus tells her she's had five of them, and the man she is with now is not her husband. Two or three is a lot for today's loose standards, but five is a bit excessive! Again, "some" have taken this to mean that she was a participant in the oldest profession known to man, prostitution. At minimum, she was an adulteress, and that was enough to make others look down on her. 

So, a tired, thirsty Jew decides to spend some time with an adulterous outcast female Samaritan because he loved her. He cared about her spiritual well-being. By asking her for a drink, he sets up a theme for their conversation and identifies her needs that are both spiritual and physical. She responds by reinforcing the ethnic tension between them but softens up once she recognizes Jesus as a sage, and later, the Messiah. He promises her living water that quenches thirst forever. Jesus Satisfies her spiritual needs, and she cannot wait to go out and tell others about who she has met and what he has done for her. 

So, a tired, hungry Christian decides to spend some time with an outcast, poor, minority, Muslim who likes Star Wars a little too much because he loves him. No matter what walk of life we come from, everyone who is without Christ has a place in their heart that needs to be filled. It comes in the form of stress, emptiness, desire, and other negative emotions. People try to fill that hole or cope with it with drugs, sex, pornography, money, career, and any other number of things that distract them. Christ fills that hole in our hearts by offering us a friend to lean on, a community to support us, and encouraging words to read when we need them. 

Now put yourself in the shoes of the Samaritan woman. If Christ were to approach you, what need would he be able to fill in your life?