Day 2: All one
Just then [Jesus'] 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?” (John 4:27).
Hallowed Lord and Christ, when You declared Your messianic mission to proclaim good news to the poor… to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:17-21), the world had no notion of the revolution You would bring as heaven shattered the base, ugly, lopsided paradigms and principles of earth.
You would teach a selfish, striving, tyrannical, domineering world that There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Starting with Your disciples.
Your word reveals to us, in unsparing detail, their shock at finding you talking with a woman (John 4:27). The woman herself had already registered her own surprise at this departure from religious, social, and cultural norms. Societal law had conditioned her to automatically assume the double breasted cloak of invisibility:
The Samaritan woman said to [Jesus], “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) (John 4:9).
The Pulpit Commentary provides us with some context for the shock on all sides, describing a social and religious culture where, in the Rabbinical traditions, "One of the daily thanksgivings was, 'Blessed art thou, O Lord... who hast not made me a woman'" (Westcott).
The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary also makes a profound observation on the disciples' reaction— an observation that provides thought-provoking insight into our prejudices and biases in general. Commenting on the fact that they "marvelled that He talked with the woman" the commentary observes, "It never probably occurred to them to marvel that He talked with themselves..."
Yet as the commentary went on to note, the Lord was nobly employed. You intentionally engaged with this woman, reaching into layers of pain buried under stigma and shame. And as You broke down barriers of social isolation, cultural stereotypes, and religious hierarchy, You brought the hope and healing of Your kingdom to an entire town through one woman and her testimony (John 4:39-42).
The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown observation is so right— How poor, if not false, are many of our most plausible estimates! Forgive our false valuations, and our blind foolishness. Teach us to walk in Your example of sincere love, genuine concern, true humility. So that others may draw near Your altar, and Your kingdom would come.
Comments