#27 Samaritan Woman at the Well
Please
first read: John 4:4-42; JST John 4:26
The KJ Bible, John 4:24, “God is Spirit” is a critical
mistranslation. Jesus never taught or said, “God is a Spirit.” Joseph Smith
corrected this in his translation which reads: John 4: 26 … “For unto such hath
God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and
in truth.”
Background
John the Baptist has already been telling his
followers to follow Jesus … that John’s mission of “preparing” has now been
done and his role will now decline. The Pharisees have noticed this and that
Jesus appears to be baptizing more people than John. When John is imprisoned by
Herod they then concentrate their attention on Jesus. Herod also does this and
Jesus will eventually proceed on to Galilee to be out of Herod’s jurisdiction.
Jesus now leaves Judea to go North to Galilee. He will
travel through Samaria where he will preach his second great discourse and
declare his Messiahship. A “good” Jew, especially a Galilean, would take a
longer route so as to avoid going through Samaria and its’ unclean, apostate
and mixed-breed of people. To a Jew, a Samaritan was considered “more unclean”
than a Gentile or any other nationality; “Samaritan” and “devil” were sometimes
used as synonyms. Jesus, however, has
reasons and purpose for going to Samaria; he will also avoid Perea which is the
seat of Herod Antipas’ power. We will first consider the history of the great
animosity and hatred existing between the Judeans and the Samaritans … it goes
back many years and is vital to our understanding of what now takes place.
Disagreements among the twelve tribes around 975 BC
led to a division into two kingdoms, northern Israel (10 tribes) and southern
Judah (2 tribes.) Some 250 years later the Assyrian and Babylonian kings invade
Israel and disperse the Israelites to other parts of those kingdoms and
re-people the area with heathen colonists from other parts of the empire. (A
way of controlling captured people in an empire.) The intermixing and
intermarrying with remnants of Israel is the founding of the Samaritan race.
Various events over time kept this animosity between the Samaritans alive,
including in 167 BC when the Jewish Hasmonean family successfully revolted
against their captors the Samaritans would not participate.
General
In a desert society, a request for water should never
be denied. The woman hesitates for a moment: this is a male Jew and a Rabbi
speaking to her in public.
It is now mid-day; women usually came for water in the
early morning and then at eventide.
Given the apparent status of this woman she may have come at noon to
avoid other women?
The woman first thinks of Jesus’ offer of water as
labor saving, but seems to quickly feel of his Spirit and then first refers to
him as a prophet, and then the Messiah.
With Jesus leaving Judea the emphasis on his baptizing
per se seems to decline and to now be more centered on teaching the message of
the gospel.
When John wrote his Gospel it may have been directed
in part to a Samaritan audience.
Jesus
and the Woman
The woman saying Jesus was a prophet would mean to the
Samaritans that she was saying Jesus was the Messiah. They acknowledge no other
prophets after Moses and waited next for the Messiah.
Jesus saying, “I that speak unto thee am he” would be
crystal clear in meaning “Messiah,” it would not be misunderstood.
Many believed on Jesus because of the woman’s word, but
many more believed when they listened directly to Jesus and felt the personal
witness of the Spirit.
The first full clear announcement by Jesus (recorded) of
his own Messiahship was made by a well-side in the heat of midday to a fallen
Samaritan woman.
The woman is truly convinced that Jesus is a prophet; then
that he is the Messiah.
Samaritans
Samaritans favored Herod in part because the Jews
hated him. They seemed to delight at any opportunity to denigrate the belief
and rituals of the Jews, and I imagine the reverse was also true. The Jews
applied the name Samaritan to all the in habitants of Israel, the northern
kingdom, not just to those in the city of Samaria.
Just as the Jews had Jerusalem and the temple as their
sacred holy place of worship, the Samaritans worshipped at Mt. Gerizim which
they believed was God’s true holy place, and where they had once had a temple. The
temple was destroyed about 130 BC and never rebuilt, but that was still
recognized as the holy place. They claimed to be true descendants of the ten
tribes of Israel and guardians of the law. They believed Mt. Gerizim was the
site of the Garden of Eden, where Abraham took Isaac, and where Noah and the
flood began.
Their bible consisted of the five books of Moses. They
used the symbolism of water for God’s wisdom that grants life. The Law was
defined or referred to by words such as water, fountain, flowing brook, drink,
thirst and living water. There is a spiritual connection between Water and the
Spirit. “Living water,” possibly among their thoughts: water is to natural life
as living water is to eternal life.
Apostles
and Disciples
Although Jesus at this time has told his apostles the
gospel is only for the chosen Jews he is very successful in being accepted by
these people in their understanding as to who he claims to be. This could be his indicating to the apostles
that the gospel will later be for all people.
When the apostles return and find Jesus talking to a
woman, one who is a Samaritan no less, and of ill repute, they are astonished
on all counts. In the customs of the day a Rabbi (Jesus) would not do this in
public with a woman, certainly not a Samaritan, and one of questionable virtue.
Jesus was very successful in converting many souls to
the gospel in the two days he spent here among the Samaritans. It may very well
be that the seed sown by Lord at this time resulted in the rich harvest reaped here
by the Apostles in later years.
Jesus specifically tells the Apostles not to do
missionary work among the Samaritans at this time.
After Jesus is resurrected he commands the Apostles to
“be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria.” (Acts
1:8)
Jesus’
Teachings
Christ is “the gift of God.” “Living water” (eternal
life) had special meaning to those living in this desert land. To travel desert
distances safely meant to plan between wells and watering holes … to be caught
away without water meant an agonizing death. (verse 10)
Throughout his ministry we see Jesus again and again
being his own chief witness, identifying himself as the Messiah, Son of God,
Redeemer. Jesus here talks of a new covenant, a new gospel where the bodies of
the saints become temples. Jesus the Messiah will one day take the place of the
temple. (verse 28)
One of Christ’s reasons for taking his ministry into
Samaria was to show the Apostles that he is not only the Savior of Israel, but
of the whole world.
The Samaritan’s idea of the Messiah was religious, not
political, so Jesus could speak of his Messiahship without fear of causing
political turmoil; much different from conditions in the land of Judah.
Although Jesus at this time has told his apostles the
gospel is only for the chosen Jews he is very successful in being accepted by
these people in their understanding as to who he claims to be.
Glenn R. McGettigan
August 2014
References:
“Our Lord of the Gospels.” Clark, Jr.
“Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.” Volume 1.
Holzapfel
“The Gospel According to John.” Volume 1. Brown
“Life of Christ.” Farrar
“Sermons of Jesus the Messiah.” Howick
“Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.” Edersheim
“Jesus the Christ.” Talmage
“One Volume Bible Commentary.” Dummelow
“Bible Review Magazine.” October 1991
Those Pharisees.” Coleman
“Doctrinal New Testament Commentary.” Volume 1. McConkie
“Smith Bible Dictionary.”
“The Words of Jeremiah.” Nyman
Elder David A Bednar. CES Fireside. February 2007
.
