Read John 4:1-42. No, don’t keep reading this. Come back to this, after, you’ve opened your Bible and read John 4. Thank you for doing that. The Samaritan woman is alone, apart from the community of women doing daily chores together. She lives with a man who wouldn’t even honor her with marriage. Five others have divorced or widowed her. The Samaritan woman lives with deep hurt, real pain. First century society collectively agreed to cast out women in her situation, through no fault of their own.
In John, it is to her, not the disciples nor the temple or synagogue leaders, but to this Samaritan woman that Jesus announces his identity: the Messiah (4:26).
