Jesus with the Samaritan Woman at the Well

Text: John 4:16-26

Reflection and Question: For Jesus as a Jew to be speaking to a Samaritan was utterly unthinkable in His time. For Jesus to be speaking to a woman who was a stranger to Him was equally beyond the laws of both the Jews and the Samaritans. Within this unimaginable context, Jesus and the unnamed woman have such a profound exchange about life, God, hope and who Jesus is. The idea of worshipping God “in spirit and in truth” seems to confuse her so she expresses her hope in the Messiah, which prompts Jesus’ admission, “I am he.” How do you understand Jesus’ call to “worship in spirit and in truth?”

Prayer: Gracious Jesus, that You simply sat with this Samaritan woman in the heat of the day and talked respectfully about important things emboldens us to trust that You sit with us in the same way. Show us how to worship in spirit and in truth. Amen.

This meditation is based on the Daily Lectionary Year 2 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).