When you read the Gospels, it is like strapping on a pair of sandals and walking the ancient dusty roads with Jesus and His disciples. These are first hand accounts from men who lived with Him on a daily basis. So when you start on the journey from John chapter 3 to chapter 4, you are leaving the bustling streets of Jerusalem and heading towards Galilee. And you find that Christ felt "He must needs go through Samaria" (v.4).
The story of the Samaritan woman at the well is one of my favorites. This morning I did a little research into Samaria because I wondered why Jews seemed to hate the Samaritan people so much. It turns out that Samaria was home to descendants of some Jewish people who had intermarried with the pagan inhabitants of that area. They believed in the Old Testament but only the first 5 books. They had built their own "temple" to worship in since they were not allowed in the temple in Jerusalem and had added some pagan elements to their worship there. All of these things made them hated by the "true Jewish Nation" who thought themselves "unclean" after any dealings with Samaritans.
So here was Jesus, tired after a long day's walk, hungry and thirsty, waiting by the well for his disciples. It was in the evening and a woman comes walking to the well. Correct Jewish male behavior would have been to avert his eyes (she was a woman) and move away from the well to which she was obviously headed (she was a Samaritan). But He stayed right where he was, not only that, but he talked to her! Asked her to draw him some water! She must have been extremely surprised!
For many reasons I love the conversation between the two of them and I read it again eagerly. There is so much here that I could not contain it in a few paragraphs, but what struck me most is Jesus attitude after the woman left to eagerly tell her friends and relatives that she had found a man that could be "the Christ" (the Samaritans were eagerly waiting for the Messiah foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-19).
Jesus had lost His hunger and thirst and had regained the energy He had lost after the long journey. He told His disciples that He "had meat that you know not of". He said His meat was "to do the Will of Him who sent me and to finish His work". He began to explain to the men with Him that there is much to do and it was exciting work! I can picture Jesus gesturing to the green fields around Him (it was near January which is early growing season there) saying: you look and see the fields will be ready to harvest in 4 months, but I see that the fields are ready to harvest now...the grains are white and heavy and The Time is Now to get to the work which my Father sent me to do.
He spent 2 days doing that work and setting in motion a spiritual growth in this nation of misfits. Later Philip would come and spread the Good News of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection and would find a ready audience. Then Peter and John would come and they would "receive the Holy Ghost"(Acts 8:14-17). Jesus could see all that was to come and was excited to start this ministry.
So what I took away from my study today is a wish to see what Jesus saw when He looked at people. I want to see those fields stretching out which are ready for harvest, with the "wind of the Spirit" rustling through the heavy stalks and I want to feel His excitement at "doing the Will of Him who sent me". Most of all I want to have His words to speak because when it comes to meeting with people face to face, I have none of my own.....