And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. John 4:27-39

Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:14, For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us, building upon the example laid down by the Lord to His disciples and us at Sychar, beside Jacob’s well! 

Gill’s commentary states ‘One of the miracles of the Lord’s ministry was to break down the wretched rabbinical prejudice against the spiritual capacities of woman, and the Oriental folly which supposed that she contaminated their sanctity.’ 

Specifically the Expositors’ Greek Testament wrote…‘“that He was speaking with a woman;” this being forbidden to Rabbis. “Samuel dicit: non salutant feminam omnino.” “The wise have said, Each time that the man prolongs converse with the woman [that is, his own wife] he causes evil to himself, and desists from words of Thorah and in the end inherits Gehinnom” (Taylor, Pirke Aboth, p. 29; see also Schoettgen in loc). 

The words of the Law were to be burnt rather than taught to a woman. A man should not speak in public to his own wife! And the disciples themselves were not free of such prejudices as their marvel at the situation revealed!

What prejudices are you holding even in your faith in Christ? Tribe, colour or gender? If you will be fruitful for the Master, deliver yourself today or you may be implicitly party to the Lord’s prophesies concerning the last days. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom… (Matthew 24:7). Selah

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash