OUR FATHER WHO BREAKS THROUGH BARRIERS TO REACH US

The Lord Jesus, after gaining more prominence in Judea due the number of people being baptized under his ministry, got the attention of the pharisees and so He decided to leave Judea with His disciples to go back to Galilee.

The journey took took them through a town in Samaria called Sychar which was near where Jacob had a settlement and had dug a well.

Around noon, the travelling party stopped to rest at this well and the disciples went into the town to buy food leaving Jesus at the well.

A Samaritan woman happened to come by the well and Jesus asked her to give him a drink of water.

The book of John chapter 4 verse 9 captures her response;

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Clearly, based on her response,  Jesus had crossed some sensitive social boundaries. There were taboos surrounding interactions between Samaritans and Jews that Jesus broke. There were also taboos related to the interactions of  men and women that even caused Jesus' disciples to be surprised when they returned to find him talking to a woman as verse 27 says.

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

Jesus bypassed that social convention as well in order to tell her about the kingdom of God which had a dramatic effect on her life.

Bless the Lord who breaks barriers to reach us no matter where and who we are.

Amen.