THE IMPARTIALITY OF GOD

“The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, ‘You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?’”  John 4:9  NLT

     What Jesus did in this portion of scripture (John 4:1-30) was totally unacceptable to the Jewish religious leaders of his day.  Speaking to a woman who was not his wife was one thing; the woman being a Samaritan was another.  Two major social and religious taboos that rose even the eyebrows of Christ’s own disciples.  Jesus was in effect revealing that there was no one who he was not willing to reach with the good news of God’s grace; forgiveness for every sin committed.  Jesus Christ was God in the flesh.  The creator of all things cared enough for his own creation that he dwelled among them and provided the blood sacrifice necessary to remove all sin with his own life.  There is nowhere else to turn to receive such an indescribable gift. 

     The Samaritan woman had a slate that needed to be wiped clean.  We are no different than this woman.  Our sins were different but to God they are all the same.  She listened intently to the words of Christ.  She went to her townspeople and told them to come see the man she perceived could be the Messiah they had all been waiting for.  It is inferred that she left her past life in the dust behind her and moved on with the living water Jesus spoke of in verses 13 and 14. 

     When we represent Christ with our lives, do we pick and choose whom we will reveal him to or shall we feel compelled to go (v.4) where the Spirit of God leads us to perform his purpose for the advancement of the kingdom? All too often we hinder ourselves due to social standards that are arbitrarily set by this politically correct world.  We must be ready to step outside the box and go with the Spirit’s leading.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE: Jews in the first century thought it unseemly for a rabbi to talk to a woman (cf. v. 27). Furthermore, there was a history of tension between Jews and Samaritans. Because Jews could never be certain that Samaritans had properly observed the purity laws, they would not use vessels in common with them. (The final clause in v. 9 should be translated “Jews do not share [utensils] with Samaritans”; with the translation Jews do not associate with Samaritans, contrast v. 8.) The situation demanded clarification, and that was given in the ensuing conversation (vv. 10-15), which develops the theme of water (cf. 3:5; 7:37-39; 19:34).