Jesus was the master teacher. He taught people that some would think unteachable, such as the Samaritan woman at the well (Jno. 4:1ff).
The Jewish people wanted nothing to do with the Samaritans. When Jesus’s disciples returned, prejudice is seen. They “marveled” that Jesus was speaking with a Samaritan and a Samaritan woman. Women were not held in high esteem by men of this time, but Jesus was not sexiest.
This animosity with the Samaritans began when the tribes were split into the Northern and Southern tribes. Jeroboam changed the worship for the Northern tribes (I Kings 12:25-33). He set up idols in Dan and Bethel.
After Israel fell to the Assyrians many began to marry those from other lands which God had prohibited. The Jews considered them as “dogs.” Jesus’s disciples may have missed this lesson of Jesus, but they would later learn that all men can be part of the kingdom the church.
It even surprised the woman that Jesus would speak to her (Jno. 1: 9). This teaches a great lesson against prejudice. Jesus knew as all Christians should know that all men have a soul, and the covering of that soul does not make any difference.
Those who would shirk at sharing the gospel message because of the color of a person’s skin, or their lack of or abundance of money, fail in following the master teacher. God’s message is for all (Matt. 28:18-20).
Another lesson from the occurrence at the well is that no matter a person’s sin, salvation is for all who will listen and obey. This lady was evidently not of good morals, as Jesus told her she had had five husbands and the man she was with was not her husband.
Some might think they surely would not be caught speaking to such a one. They seem to forget the mission of Jesus: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Jesus knew this woman needed to be taught. Society today tends to overlook things that the Bible plainly teaches to be sin. Sin cannot be overlooked or else souls will be lost. A true follower of Christ will speak to people about their lives and thought a study of the Bible will teach the people about their sins.
This is what the apostles did in Acts 2. They were speaking to people who some 50 days before had clamored for the execution of Jesus. In their lesson they explained about Jesus and how they had crucified the very Son of God (Acts 2:22-36).
Jesus told the woman about living water. This point is important because most people of that area might think of living water as fresh running water from a spring. Today one can turn a tap or purchase a bottle of water and have clean fresh water, but in this time living in an arid place, fresh water was a prized commodity.
Jesus was not talking about physical water, but rather spiritual goodness of God. This can be seen from looking back into the Old Testament. Jeremiah 2:13 says, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”
Those people were reminded of the water in a cistern, which many times would be stale. They had left the fresh “water” (God) to listen to the stale “water” of false prophets. The living water that was offered this lady was salvation by following God.
She knew of the prophecy of a coming Messiah (Jno. 4:25). She knew he was to teach them all things. Jesus revealed to her that he was that Messiah.
All men today need to partake of the “living water” offered by Christ. This is done by obeying the gospel.
Because of Jesus’s willingness to speak to an “undesirable sinner,” many others were taught about Jesus. Today all Christians need to be like the master teacher.