26 April 2024
I had a sense I wouldn't like this one, and I don't. Bailey buys into the idea that pious Jews hiked around Samaria, crossing the Jordan twice to avoid it. This has been debunked generously; there's no evidence whatsoever. He also pushes the envelope calling this Samaritan woman the first female preacher of the gospel.
We get an interesting factoid: For centuries, Palestinian wells have had circular capstones with a small hole in the center. It allowed access to the water but kept out most blowing sand and protected children from falling in. Keep in mind that a town well was normally the place where women met to discuss all the gossip and would easily chatter for an hour or so.
But they did this in the morning before the heat of the day. For this woman to come at midday meant she was a social outcast. And every traveler knew to carry a folding animal skin pouch attached to a long thin line that served as a bucket. They would put sticks across the opening to make it act like a regular bucket. You can still buy these skin pouches today in the Middle East. The disciples surely carried one, but Jesus didn't ask them to leave it with Him.
Geography note: See this site for aerial photos. Sychar was a small village a long walk north and west of Jacob's Well, while Shechem was the big city between Mounts Ebal and Gerizim and sat straight west. The disciples went off into Shechem for food, while this woman approached from the north.
Protocol required the Jesus withdraw about 20 feet or so while she drew water, but instead He remained seated on the lid of the well (although it may refer to Him sitting on a bench right up against the well, a common fixture in those days). She's the kind of woman who was sassy and sarcastic, so she didn't hesitate to ignore this Jewish rabbi.
That He asked her for a drink might sound reasonable enough, but it broke all kinds of social taboos. Jewish men didn't even make eye contact with non-family women, Samaritans in particular, much less speak to them. That the location was isolated with no witnesses only magnified the taboo. And then there is that lingering several centuries of hostility between Jews and Samaritans.
Finally, Jesus puts Himself in a dependent position. Bailey rightly connects this with Jesus telling His disciples not to carry much on their first preaching mission, to always be in a vulnerable position, not commanding and demanding. He's not romancing this woman; He's breaking down barriers to His message. There is something about the gospel message that compels us in some ways to always be vulnerable with our audience. Westerners have no sense of balance on this, especially when it comes to mission activity. We always place our missionaries in the position of givers only, not community members.
This also helps to affirm the woman's dignity, something she has rarely had in any abundance for a very long time. Consider that "Jews and Samaritans did not use vessels in common" because each was ritually unclean to the other.
Thus, the request for a drink was more shocking than we might imagine from the text alone.
Comments
Jay DiNitto
"Bailey buys into the idea that pious Jews hiked around Samaria, crossing the Jordan twice to avoid it. This has been debunked generously; there’s no evidence whatsoever."
I heard this before, but it seemed plausible to me, if a bit ridiculous. I didn't know it was hogwash, though.
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