The Least Of These

John gives an account in Chapter 4 of his gospel of Jesus passing through Samaria on His way back to Galilee from Judea.  Jews usually avoided passing through Samaria and would travel around it by crossing the Jordan and traveling along the east side.  The origin of the Samaritans is generally traced to the division of Israel into northern and southern kingdoms during the rebellion of Jeroboam, in which the northern kingdoms eventually fell to the Assyrians who displaced the native northern Israelites into surrounding nations and replaced them with peoples of various nationalities and religious beliefs, whom the remaining northern Israelites intermarried with.  Samaritans were hated by the Jews who considered them ethnic half-breeds, more Gentile than Jew, religiously unclean because they practiced an aberrant form of Judaism, and were considered traitors because of past support to conquering nations.  John clearly states at verse 9, "Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans," which seems to be his way of attempting to tastefully convey that there is no love lost between Jew and Samaritan.

The account of the Samaritan woman at the well packs a triple-punch in terms of Jesus' dealings with those who were normally considered "the fringes of society" or those who were considered "less than" in terms of religiosity or inherent human value.  In this one passage, He ministers to a person who is not only a despised Samaritan, but also a woman and a sinner.  This would have been the epitome of disgust to a religious Jew.  You get a sense of the disciples' shock at verse 27, "His disciples came and they were astonished that He had been speaking with a woman," yet none of them dared question Him.  It is quite remarkable that their shock value did not even lie in the fact that Jesus was dealing with a Samaritan or a sinner, but that He was bothering with a woman.

This account of the Samaritan woman is a pithy exchange, from which many treasures of truth can be mined.  All of the details in this account are significant for understanding what is being communicated, but the key for putting it all together is actually what is said in the preceding chapter.  In Chapter 3, John gives us the account of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, a believing Pharisee who met with Him secretly under the cover of night.  After Nicodemus questions Jesus, Jesus admonishes him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?  Truly, truly I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony" (3:10,11).  Then Jesus tells Nicodemus, those who believe in Him will not be judged, but those who do not believe in Him have been judged already "because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (3:18).  Then, a few verses later, John the Baptist reiterates the religious leaders' lack of faith by restating what Jesus said in his own words, "What He has seen and heard of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true....for He gives the Spirit without measure...He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:32-36). 

Then we see Jesus illustrate all these words through His interaction with the Samaritan woman.  She is not a teacher of Israel, yet she understands (3:10).  Jesus echoes His words to Nicodemus at 3:11 when He says to the woman, "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews" (4:22).  Yet even in her ignorance, she does not refuse His testimony, but accepts it.  The Pharisees consider her judged and under God's wrath as a sinner and a Samaritan, and not even worthy of receiving any spiritual gift of God because she is a woman.  Yet because she believes, she is not judged (3:18).  Not only is she not judged, but she is also offered the Spirit without measure (3:34):  "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life" (4:14).  On every account that Jesus admonishes the spiritual leaders of Israel and the spiritually arrogant, this Samaritan woman-- the least likely, the least valued, the least worthy, the least respected, the least considered-- succeeds in faithfulness. 

In this account we see God's grace at work in the most unlikely of places with the most unlikely of people.  We see that God's gracious gift of salvation and redemption extends to the unworthy and rejected, and even more so, that devotion to God is not measured by righteous works or favorable status or rank in society, but that He measures devotion by faith.  When we feel downtrodden, we must hold onto this truth in faith.  When we are in the valley of weakness, failure, and doubt, we must remember in faith that there is no place that God will not reach down and draw us up from.  Likewise, when we are on the mountaintop and think we stand, we must remember to be humble and self-examining, lest we fall.  We cannot hide anything from God.  Jesus tells the Samaritan woman, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth" (4:24).  To worship in spirit, requires faith.  To worship in truth, requires the willingness to be truthful about ourselves, to let God examine our heart and to surrender to whatever truth He shows us to walk in.

 

But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Luke 5:30-32)

Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him trembling in fear, and she told Him the whole truth.  He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. God in peace and be freed from your suffering." (Mark 5:33,34)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Heb 11:6)

For the eyes of the Lord roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is fully devoted to Him. (2 Chron 16:9)

Now the people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them. When Jesus saw this, He was greatly displeased and indignant and told them, "Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:13-15)