The Samaritan Woman
by Sue Griffiths
I so love the way Jesus sees right through the facades any one of us might put up to appear acceptable to others. The Samaritan woman whom Jesus meets just outside her own home town in Samaria is one such person.
She has come to the well at midday to avoid the silent treatment from the other women she might meet at the well in early morning. But she’s not afraid of Jesus when she meets Him sitting there at the well wanting a drink. She’s well used to men.
Jesus talks with her. He treats her like a human being, listening to her, taking her seriously; even talking about spiritual things – a whole taboo area for a woman to discuss, especially with a man and on her own!
Jesus asks her to fetch her husband. Silence. And then she answers simply, ‘I have no husband.’ He has touched a massive no-go area. But Jesus knows already. ‘You’re right; you’ve had five husbands and the man you’re with now isn’t your husband’.
They talk about religion: who’s right, who’s wrong - Jews or Samaritans? Maybe this is just a ploy to talk about something safer. But, whatever, Jesus turns the subject around with such a revelation. ‘In the end’, He says, ‘God is not just looking for correct ritual in worship. God is looking for those who worship Him truly and love Him from their heart’. “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 3:24).
The woman says, ‘I know that Messiah, the Christ is coming. When he comes he’ll explain everything to us.’ And Jesus quietly declares, ‘I who speak to you am he’ (John 3:26).
Who is this woman? What is going on? This is the first person in all of John’s Gospel to whom we hear Jesus openly acknowledging that He is, indeed, the promised Messiah! To me, this says everything about who Jesus is. He looks on the heart. He loves those who search for Him. He responds to those who search for Him in truth, whether male or female, the damaged, the broken, or the abused. And He responds with love, with acceptance, with truth. In doing so, Jesus indeed reveals to us the heart of God.
Sue Griffiths Sue found deep inner healing through the teaching and ministry at Ellel ministries and is now part of the associate ministry team at Ellel Grange. Previously, Sue was a specialist in English Literature and a vicar’s wife. Her passion is to see others coming into freedom in Christ in their personal lives. Sue’s an outdoors person, loves gardening, walking, and many creative things. She and Richard, her husband, now live in Northumberland and enjoy a great family of 3 grown up kids and some grandkids.
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