Previous Article: Shame & Guilt
During my walk with God, I read numerously the account of the Samaritan woman at the well. I missed a lot in those initial readings. However, much later, I realized that the Samaritan woman demonstrates redemption from shame and guilt. Her story begins in John 4: 4 – 30.
Background:
Strict Jews, like the Pharisees, disliked the Samaritans to the point that they avoided travel to their land. Avoiding their city usually meant longer travel. However, those who took the short route deemed it necessary. Not only did strict Jews avoid their city, they also despised Samaritans. Even though the Samaritans believed in the same God, they refused to worship in Jerusalem. This decision brought hostility between the two groups. Therefore, Jesus interaction with the Samaritan woman defies his Jewish piety. He willingly travels to Samaria. He engages in a conversation with a despised Samaritan, a woman, and a sexual sinner. Their interaction occurs during the sixth hour, when no one else comes to the well. One can assume that she picked a time to avoid others. She was ashamed and fearful of others due to having six lovers.
Jesus’ Redemption:
Jesus redeems the Samaritan woman by the following:
- He takes the short route to purposefully meet her. He is willing to alter His schedule to meet her where she is at (verses 4 – 5).
- He does not despise her, instead He engages with her first (verse 7). In his engagement, he does not care what others think (verse 27).
- He continually speaks to her, even though she attempts to push Him away (verse 10).
- When she does not understand why Jesus is communicating with her, Jesus slowly draws her to Himself (verse 10). He challenges her to see that he is the gift of God and the living water (verse 10). Gift refers to being free and possessing bounty, while living water refers to the new life that Christ brings.
- When the woman has no desire to talk about spiritual matters and does not recognize the significance of Christ, Jesus continues to reveal that He is the living water (verses 11 –14). He concludes that He provides abundant life, permanent satisfaction, and salvation.
- When the woman still does not understand Jesus and what He brings, Jesus exposes her sin (verses 15 – 18). In His exposure, it is revealed that the woman is pursuing and seeking love. Her methods for seeking love has forced her in a state of shame and guilt.
- Being exposed, the woman is forced to recognize Jesus as no ordinary man (verse 19).
- Jesus refuses to be drawn into the woman’s religious interpretation (verses 20 – 21). He points her back to one and only true Father. He points her to the only person who can provide the love she sought in her relationships.
- Jesus calls her to worship in spirit and truth (verse 23). Spirit embodies every essence of a person, the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting. It is more than outward actions, but heart and mind. Truth occurs with God’s divine nature. Simply, truth is a characteristic of God. Truth can be found in faithfulness, reliability, trustworthiness, sureness, and the like. Therefore, Jesus states that true worshipers worship with every portion of their being girded with God’s divine nature.
- When the woman once again attempts to deny Jesus and His challenge, Jesus declares that He is the Messiah (verses 24 – 25). By admitting that He is the Messiah, Jesus declares that He is the saver. He will save the Samaritan.
- The woman is amazed by her interaction with Jesus. She leaves the waterpot and tells others (verses 28 – 29). She leaves her shame and guilt to expose Jesus to others.
Continue Reading: Our Redemption From Shame & Guilt
