The Samarians were a mixed ethnic group that emerged after the Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom of Israel and its capital Samaria in 722 BC. The Assyrians expelled much of the Israelite population and allowed foreign peoples to settle in their cities. These new peoples mixed with the poor Israelites who remained and eventually became the “Samaritans”.
“5 Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it. 6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”
(2Ki 17:5-6)
“24 And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.”
(2Ki 17:24)
But it was not only ethnically that the Samaritans became a mixed people, also religiously. The Assyrian king ordered one of Israel’s own priests to teach the Samaritans how to worship the God of Israel, but the various peoples who had moved in continued to worship their Gods as they had done before.[1]
In 586 BC, the southern kingdom of Judah suffers much the same tragedy as Israel, and is taken captive to Babylon. Seventy years later, when the Jews are allowed to return to Judah and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, the Samaritans want to help.[2] The Samaritans consider themselves part of God’s people because they are descended from the Israelite tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Levi. The word “Samaritan” means “one who follows the Law”.
But the Jews did not allow the Samaritans to participate in the building of the temple and since then there has been enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans.[3] The hatred between these two peoples was so great that the Jews preferred to take a detour around Samaria when traveling between the two Jewish territories of Judea and Galilee. Jesus did not. In the Gospel of John, it says that he took the road “through Samaria” when he left Judea and went back to Galilee.[4]
When Jesus, tired after his walk, stops at a well, he asks a Samaritan woman for water:
“7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)”
(Jn 4:7-9)
By asking a Samaritan woman for water like a Jewish man, Jesus breaks at least three taboos. First, Jews and Samaritans did not talk to each other in principle; second, a Samaritan cup of water would be considered unclean for a Jew; and third, men and women did not talk to each other in public.
For a Jewish Rabbi, talking to a woman was considered a waste of time at best, and at worst, it could take the Rabbi’s focus off the Law of Moses and ultimately lead to Hell. So when the disciples see Jesus talking to a woman, it is not surprising that they express astonishment:
“27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?””
(Jn 4:27)
Although this book is about strangers, it should be added that Jesus challenged not only prejudices about people from other countries, but also prejudices against women and socially marginalized people. By talking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus shows that he is not hindered by human prejudices in communicating spiritual truths.
When the Samaritan woman understands that Jesus is “a prophet,” she begins to discuss with him on which mountain God’s people should rightly worship.[5] The Jews had built their temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, and the Samaritans had built their temple in Samaria on Mount Gerizim.[6] Jesus, however, does not interfere in that debate, but simply replies:
“21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.”
(Jn 4:21)
Jesus’ point is that now that the Messiah has come to earth, worship will no longer be based on a place, but on worshipping God “in spirit and truth“.[7]
“23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.””
(Jn 4:23-24)
By gathering God’s people in the name of Jesus, the Lord is in our midst[8] and we thus become “the temple of the living God”.[9]
When the disciples return to Jesus, the Samaritan woman hastily leaves her water pot and goes back into the city, telling them she may have found the Messiah. The Samaritans believe in Jesus and invite him to stay with them, which of course Jesus gladly does.[10]
By asking the Samaritan woman for water, Jesus reached across the hostile walls built up between Jews and Samaritans, men and women. Instead of arguing about exactly where to worship, Jesus broadens the perspective of spiritual truths. By accepting the Samaritans’ hospitality, Jesus welcomes strangers into the kingdom of God.
You have read a free chapter of my book Friend of Strangers. If you like this book, please consider purchasing the ebook through Amazon. Since English is not my native language, there may be some linguistic inaccuracies. Please contact me if you find any.
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[1] 2Ki 17:27–33
[2] Ezr 4:1–2
[3] Ezr 4:3
[4] Jn 4:4
[5] Jn 4:19
[6] Dt 12:5, Dt 11:29
[7] Jn 4:20–24
[8] Mt 18:20
[9] 2Co 6:16
[10] Jn 4:39–42