Larry Jones of Follow the Light blogs today on one of my favorite Gospel Stories — Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

In a previous post, An Excellent Woman, I discussed how a woman’s value is not determined by the world or the culture around her. After reading brother Larry’s post, I rejoice in God, my Saviour.  In a single moment, Jesus can overrule years of abuse and sin and restore a sinful woman to honor and dignity.  Oh, what a Saviour!

Please take a moment to read this beautiful piece.  And, if you haven’t already, sign up to receive his posts. All I can say is that I am always blessed by what he has to say.

“John 1:17 “The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.”

“We must keep this conversation in the context of the culture of that day. It was a man’s world, and for women and children not willing to show humility in the presence of men, it was, sadly, a brutal world. I think one purpose of retaining the first part of this conversation was to give us insight into the nature of this particular woman within that culture.

Twice Jesus told this woman what to do, and twice she argued with Him, and then didn’t do what she was told. In that culture her responses would have been openly disrespectful. Then, while alone with a man from a neighboring nation in conflict with her own, she tried to start a religious argument about the superiority of her national religion over his. Dangerous…

I would expect to see scars on the face and knuckles of a woman who responded to men in that culture the way this woman responded to Jesus. She was a sullen, angry, abused woman, who had experienced a difficult life of broken relationships. She was living, unmarried, with her sixth man.

But… Jesus knew this, and was patient and kind with her. To Jesus she was His lost sheep in the wilderness. She was the one He came to save. He left the ninety and nine righteous to look for her. Other men may have seen her as someone to abuse, use, belittle, or ignore. Jesus saw a beloved soul; a person to value and sacrifice Himself to redeem. Even his disciples were surprised to see Him talking to her when they returned from an errand. He could have gone to a Samaritan queen… but He went to that water-well to save that woman, and I’m glad He did.”