The Counter Culture
The culture of Jesus’ day isn’t so much different than it is in the world now. The story of the woman at the well is a snapshot of what the culture was like at that time. Women were treated differently, Samaritans were hated by the Jews, and men didn’t socialize in public with women as seen in the text of John 4. When Jesus stopped at the well to talk with the Samaritan woman, He knew exactly what he was doing. Jesus’ mission was and is a countercultural revolution. He came to save the world, not to be part of it.
We cannot let cultural ideals, icons and influencers define our beliefs, our identity or who we should follow. Everything the world puts in front of our eyes, minds, and bodies should be tested against the Word of God to see if it will stand the test as approved by God. As we have seen in our lives, culture changes constantly and sometimes swiftly. There are two standards we can be sure of: God’s word will last forever (Is. 40:8) and Jesus is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Heb. 13:8).
Let’s take a closer look at the story of the the woman at the well in John 4. Click on the links below for deeper insight of the encounter Jesus had with the Samaritan woman.