CCM Seminary

Rev. Dr. L. Bwalya

Hermeneutics
Module 5

Lawrence Kabanda
18 June, 2020
A Practical Assignment on: John 4:32-38

The immediate context of John 4:32-38 is found in John 4:27-31, 39-42 stipulates as
follows; Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a
woman. But no one asked, ‘What do you want?’ or ‘Why are you talking with her?’
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the
people, come, see a man who told me everything I have ever done. Could this be the
Messiah? They came out of the town and made their way towards him. Meanwhile
his disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s
testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ So when the Samaritans came
to him they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his
words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe
just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that
this man really is the Saviour of the world.’

The extended context is found in John 4: 1-26 which narrates that Now Jesus
learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more
disciples than John- although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.
So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through
Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground
Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he
was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me
a drink?’ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman
said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a
drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritan’s.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you
knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked
him and he would have given you living water.’

‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where
can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the
well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?’

Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever
drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will
become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life!’ The woman said to him,
‘Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to
draw water.’ He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’ I have no husband,
she replied.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband.

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The fact is, you have had five husbands and the man you now have is not your
husband. What you have just said is quite true.’

‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped
on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in
Jerusalem. ‘Woman,’ Jesus replied, ‘believe me, a time is coming when you will
worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans
worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from
the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will
worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the
Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in
truth. The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming. When he
comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to
you- I am he.’

Following is the historical context in which the Scriptures under consideration were
written. This passage of Scripture was taking place in the period of the divided
Kingdom under the Roman power. Sadly, Solomon and his son Rehoboam did not
treat the northern tribes with the respect that they deserved, so the tribes of the north
broke away and formed their own nation around 930 B.C. When Rehoboam refused
to treat the northern tribes justly, they broke away and formed their own nation.
Jeroboam I became King of the northern tribes, and set up a capital in Samaria
along with worship centres in Dan and Bethel. Now, Jeroboam went much too far in
his rebellion against the south. He established idols in his worship centres at Dan
and Bethel, and by doing this; the northern kingdom became severely corrupt. The
nation turned away from loyalty to Yahweh and refused to submit to their covenant
responsibilities.

Understanding, the desire for independence became a national obsession and

affected practically every phase of nation life. Above all else, this desire colored the
religious thinking of the day and the interpretation of the Messianic passages of the
Old Testament. The subjugation of the Jews by Rome was the direct result of
disobedience to the divine requirements. Through Moses and the prophets God had
warned His people of the sufferings that would follow disobedience.

Quite naturally the Jews looked for deliverance from the twofold yoke imposed upon
them by Caesar and Herod. Repeatedly, would-be messiahs arose to champion the
rights and redress the wrongs of their people- by the sword. The Jews fondly
believed that the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament promised a political
messiah who would both deliver Israel from foreign oppression and subdue all
nations. The political aspirations thus distorted the Messianic hope, and since Jesus
of Nazareth did not fulfil these expectations, national pride effectively prevented the

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recognition and acknowledgment of Him as the one to whom the prophets had born
witness. The Samaritans believed that the Messiah was to come as the Redeemer,
not only of the Jews, but of the world. The Holy Spirit through Moses had foretold
Him as a prophet sent from God. Through Jacob it had been declared that unto Him
should the gathering of the people be; and through Abraham, that in Him all the
nations of the earth should be blessed. On these Scriptures the people of Samaria
based their faith in the Messiah. The fact that the Jews had misinterpreted the later
prophets, attributing to the first advent the glory of Christ’s second coming, had led
the Samaritans to discard all the sacred writings except those given through Moses.
But as the Saviour swept away these false interpretations, many accepted the later
prophecies and the words of Christ Himself in regard to the Kingdom of God.

The genre of the passage under consideration is a narrative. Every genre has an
effect on interpretation. Since Biblical narratives do not tell us ever thing about an
event; they are selective and focused on those elements that contribute to the plot,
and cannot be made to address every question we might want to ask of the story.
Given the historical and cultural contexts, the narratives do not necessarily provide
direct models for behaviour today since we do not share those particulars of time
and place. Actions of biblical characters do not directly present us with norms for our
behaviour today, although they may illustrate positively or negatively the
consequences of certain behaviour.

The application of the message of a narrative must be in a context that shares some
dimension of the story. In other words, all narratives are not truth about everything;
they are “incarnated” truth. A story cannot be used to mean something or address an
issue that totally is totally outside its original meaning or message. The narrative
itself must be the starting point for understanding it, not elements imported into the
story from outside unless they are directly part of the setting. It should be seen in a
larger context, but not as a starting point.

In observing the story in the passage the following can be highlighted as seen from
the passage; the story comprises of Jesus, the Samaritan woman, the disciples of
Jesus, the many Samaritans who came to see the Saviour and the well of Jacob at
the entrance of the city of Judea of the Samaritans. Jesus initiated a conversation
with the Samaritan woman. The conversation that took place between Jesus and the
woman led her to recognize him as the Messiah the Saviour of the world. She gave
her life to Jesus and went on to testify about the Messiah to many others who also
believed on her testimony. The many Samaritans who came to see the Saviour
believed the word of the Lord as it came from himself and they became born again
upon hearing the word for themselves.

We see and learn from the passage that Jesus had begun to break down the

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partition wall between Jew and Gentile, and to preach salvation to the world. Though
He was a Jew, He mingled freely with the Samaritans, setting at nought the
Pharisaic customs of His nation. In face of their prejudices He accepted the
hospitality of this despised people. He slept under their roofs, ate with them at their
tables, partaking of the food prepared and served by their hands, taught in their
streets, and treated them with the utmost kindness and courtesy.

The major problem in the passage is identified concerning the custom that existed
between the Jews and the Samaritans. These two groups did not associate due to
the historical background of the divided kingdom when Rehoboam refused to treat
the northern tribes justly; they broke away and formed their own nation. The Jews
and the Samaritans were bitter enemies, and as far as possible avoided all dealing
with each other. To trade with the Samaritans in case of necessity was indeed
counted lawful by the rabbis; but all social intercourse with them was condemned. A
Jew could not borrow from a Samaritan, nor receive a kindness, not even a morsel of
bread or a cup of water. The disciples, in buying food, were acting in harmony with
the custom of their nation. But beyond this they did not go. To ask a favour of the
Samaritans, or any way seek to benefit them, did not enter into the thought of even
Christ’s disciples.

A woman of Samaria approached, and seeming unconscious of His presence, filled

her pitcher with water. As she turned to go away, Jesus asked her for a drink. Such a
favour no Oriental would withhold. In the East, water was called “the gift of God.” To
offer a drink to the thirsty traveller was held to be a duty so sacred that the Arabs of
the desert would go out of their way in order to perform it. The hatred between Jews
and Samaritans prevented the woman from offering a kindness to Jesus; but the
Saviour was seeking to find the key to this heart, and with the tact born of divine
love, He asked, not offered, a favour. The offer of a kindness might have been
rejected; but trust awakens trust.

The major outstanding themes of the passage of Scripture is that Jesus is a gift of
God (4:10) and Saviour of the world (4:42). No one can come to the Father except
through Christ Jesus and he is the only way to the Father and the only true pathway
to salvation.

Several obligations can be derived from the passage under consideration. The
passage requires me to believe in Jesus Christ as a gift of God to mankind to save
the lost as a Saviour of the world from sin and eternal damnation. To share the
gospel of the love and kindness that leads to the salvation of Jesus Christ to others
who have not yet given their lives to Jesus. It also requires me to know how to
present the gospel with tact and skill and to establish the fact that there should be no
barrier when it comes to eternal issues pertaining to the kingdom of God.

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My reflections on the passage; I have learned of how valuable a human soul is
considered by God such that Jesus can be noted how tactful and careful he was in
delivering the good news and revelation about himself to her, the knowledge and
light that led her to accepting the Messiah as her Lord and Saviour of her life. Not
seeking a holy mountain or a sacred temple are men brought into communion with
heaven. Religion is not to be confined to external forms and ceremonies. The religion
that comes from God is the only religion that will lead to God. in order to serve Him
aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the
mind, giving us the new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing
obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship. It is the fruit of the working of
the Holy Spirit.

Another lesson learned and that can be reflected on; is that it can be seen from the
passage that Jesus had begun to break down the partition wall between Jew and
Gentile, and to preach salvation to the world. Though He was a Jew, He mingled
freely with the Samaritans, setting at nought the Pharisaic customs of His nation.
The gospel invitation is not to be narrowed down, and presented only to a select few,
who, we suppose, will do us, honour if they accept it. The message is to be given to
all. Wherever hearts are open to receive the truth, Christ is ready to instruct them.
He reveals to them the Father and the worship acceptable to Him who reads
theheart. For such He uses no parables to them, as to the woman at the well, He
says, “I that speak unto thee am He.”

Here is another important reflection from the passage; the worker for Christ should
not feel that he cannot speak with the same earnestness to a few hearers as to a
larger company. There may be only one to hear the message; but who can tell how
far-reaching will be its influence? It seemed a small matter, even to His disciples, for
the Saviour to spend His time upon a woman of Samaria. But He reasoned more
earnestly and eloquently with her than with kings, councillors, or high priests. The
lessons He gave to that woman has been repeated to the earth’s remotest bounds.

Further reflection on the passage can depict the fact that this Samaritan woman
represents the working of a practical faith in Christ. Every true disciple is born into
the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a
fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a
spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to
perish eager to drink of the water of life.

The following are several possible applications for the text under consideration:
Those who may be considered outcasts or whatever circumstance of birth or
nationality or condition of their life must not be shunned by those who call
themselves followers of Jesus Christ. The gospel invitation is not to be narrowed

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down, and presented only to a select few, who, we suppose, will do us honour if they
accept it. The message is to be given to all. Wherever hearts are open to receive the
truth, we must be ready to instruct them of the themes of Christ the Saviour of the
world. In missionary work, there should be no waiting for congregations to assemble.
The worker for Christ should not feel that he cannot speak with the same
earnestness to a few hearers as to a larger company. There may be only one to hear
the message; but who can tell how far-reaching will be its influence?

This woman represents the working of a practical faith in Christ. Every true disciple is
born into the Kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water
becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the
soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are
ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life. Therefore every missionary of
Christ must bear a working practical faith in Christ and must be always drinking from
the source of living water so as to become a fountain of life to the perishing in order
to rescue them from eternal doom.

What we receive from Christ must be given to others who do not have the same
blessing of the knowledge that leads to salvation. Every disciple of Jesus must act as
the Samaritan woman acted as soon as she had found the Saviour she brought
others to Him. The work to be done now should not be thought upon to be done in
the future. We should be able to see round about us a read harvest to be gathered. It
is worth stating here that as followers of Christ we must take a leaf from this story
and learn from the Saviour the art of salvation. Partition walls between believers and
the unbelievers must be broken down so that salvation can be preached to the entire
world. Followers of God must freely mingle with the marginalized and setting at
nought the prejudices that are heaped upon them as we share the love of God to
them.

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Bibliography

Pratt, Jr. R.L. He Gave Us Prophets: Historical Analysis of Prophecy. United States:

Third Millennium Ministries 2010. P 4.

The Vision Study Bible King James Version. Seoul, Korea: Everlasting Gospel

Publishing Association. 2013 P 1.

White, E.G. Man of Destiny. USA: Inspiration Books 1993. Pp. 152, 160-162.

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