John 4:27-30

As we can see here, the disciples were quite shocked to find Jesus talking with this woman. It was against all cultural norms for Him to do so. This may seem odd in our Western culture, but Jesus’ actions here were considered quite revolutionary—especially for a rabbi. Women were considered ceremonially unclean, yet Jesus freely conversed not only with her but with several women throughout His ministry.

At this point, the woman leaves her water jar behind and, with urgency, runs back to the village. She tells everyone about Jesus and persuades them to come and see Him for themselves.

She did what the disciples were supposed to do. Scripture does not record anyone coming back with the disciples. She evangelized the whole city. What did the disciples do? We do not read that they created any kind of stir among the people. That may have been because they were Samaritans—whom they despised—and the disciples simply wanted to go into the city, grab something to eat, and get out of there with minimal interaction.

How many times do we do this? Maybe not out of prejudice, but rather out of apathy. We forget why we are here. Do we make the most of the opportunities we have with the people we come in contact with? Do we look to better their lives in some way, or are we merely concerned about our own interests?

My husband is constantly looking for points of connection with the people he encounters—whether it’s the cashier at the grocery store, the teller at the bank, or the waitress at a restaurant. I am always amazed at the ease with which he is able to converse with people. I, on the other hand, tend to be singularly focused on projects and have had to learn that people matter more than projects.

The Apostle Paul once said to the Thessalonians that he longed to see them face to face so that he could supply what was lacking in their faith (1 Thessalonians 3:10). Do we look to enrich the lives of those we come in contact with?

So Jesus, fully aware of the purpose of this seemingly “random” encounter, uses it as a teaching moment for the boys—which we will discuss next time.