27 April 2024
Jesus mentions to this Samaritan woman the gift of God and living water. He's talking about the Word of God, but not in a document. Rather, it's Himself; He is the Covenant (Isaiah 42:6). The term "living water" would typically refer to spring water. How could He produce spring water when He can't even get well water for Himself?
He was not drawn into a debate about whether Jews or Samaritans can claim Jacob. He moves to the point of water that insures never thirsting again. She'll take that if it's literal, avoiding the reference to eternal life, because she's still focused on being sarcastic to an authority figure. She's still not on the spiritual level, so Jesus asks her to bring her husband. Bailey misreads this part completely, trying to turn this into making her an evangelist.
Jesus shows that he knows all about her life and all the men she's had. This was shameful for Samaritans, quite uncommon. She is caught off guard and recognizes Him somewhat respectfully as at least a prophet, but changes the subject, and wants to get into the issue of Mount Gerizim versus Jerusalem. This is a valid question, the need at hand is approaching the mercy seat for redemption; she knows she's a sinner. Where is that mercy seat?
Jesus asserts that the Samaritan image of God was false, but that the question of location was irrelevant. The whole issue was connecting to the Spirit Realm. The woman remarked that the Messiah, coming soon, would resolve all those questions. In the process, Jesus treats the woman as important enough to answer the questions she did not dare to ask. She isn't just trash, as both Samaritans and Jews would treat her.
Through all of this, Bailey chases a lot of rabbits, and never mentions that half of this conversation is incomprehensible unless you notice that the women is very sharp, far more intelligent than average. Most men could not tolerate that, so she didn't fare well on the domestic front. She should have been paired with someone capable of handling her. Having made so many unorthodox choices in her life, and burned too many bridges, she became sarcastic and brassy as the only path left to her. This melts when Jesus shows that God is still very much interested in her life. This is the hidden gem in this story.
Finally, Jesus declares that He is the Messiah, with the implication He was interested in having her in His kingdom. Bailey notes that John records Jesus saying, "I AM" in the same words of the Septuagint for the encounter at the Burning Bush.
Right at that moment, the disciples return from Shechem. The woman leaves her waterjug and heads back to Sychar. She has the water of life now. This is where Bailey tries to turn her into a "preacher". I'm sure this is just a rhetorical device meant to be edgy, but it violates clear New Testament teaching, and it comes across as needlessly abrasive. She does turn her former brassy demeanor into a strong witness for Jesus as the Messiah.
Meanwhile, back at the well, the disciples are confused by Jesus refusing to eat the meal they brought back. He talks about having filled up on the will of God, and then mentions and an out of season harvest in the fields. But it's a harvest of souls (ref. Amos 9:13-14). Note: This places the story in the dead of winter, four months before the grain harvest in April/May.
Bailey notes that the Samaritans weren't anticipating a Messiah in the same mold as the Jews, but a special prophet rather like a new Moses. After Jesus spent a couple of days among these Samaritans, they realized this was more than they expected.
He also mentions something not commonly known about Samaria. Herod was courting Ceasar's favor after the latter declared a time of peace in 14 AD. The ancient city of Samaria was on a very prominent hill. On the western face of that hill, just visible from Caesarea on the coast, Herod commissioned a fancy temple in honor of the emperor. When Augustus died, he was declared a deity by the Roman government. Thus, the temple included a massive statue of him that was likely visible from that same Caesarea. But Bailey fails to connect this to the impact Jesus had. Interesting stuff, and good to know, but it has the effect of chasing rabbits.
The point is that, with this woman, Jesus transformed through stages from an ordinary Jewish man, to a rabbi, to a prophet, and finally to the Messiah.
Comments
Jay DiNitto
"she became sarcastic and brassy as the only path left to her."
Pastors love preaching on this story, because women, but you barely hear about this outside of the fact that they probably wouldn't be having a conversation at all under the usual circumstances. But the "scandalous" way she talks feels normal to modern ears. We lose some of the story because of that.
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