Jesus challenges two cultural taboos in this passage. Firstly, to travel through Samaria and to interact with a Samaritan – Jews did not get on with Samaritans, and some of the religious reasons are hinted at in the story. And Jewish men did not speak with women. In this case, the fact that this women was collecting her water in the heat of the day when no self-respecting person would do so, shows that she is also a woman largely rejected by her community because of immorality.

John 4:4-42

Evangelist

A teller of good news. Often to be found crossing cultural boundaries and challenging taboos, as Jesus does here, in order to proclaim good news to people. And note that having given the Samaritan women good news, she then becomes an evangelist to her own community in her own right.

Are there taboos and cultural divides that stop us from sharing the good news about Jesus?

What are they and in what ways can they be overcome in order to win a hearing for the Gospel, as Jesus does in this story.

Henry’s@BibleHub Strong’s@BibleHub