The Woman of Samaria

The Woman of Samaria
John 4.1-15

‘Have you heard about Simon?’ a friend asked me. ‘He’s become a Samaritan!’

I knew what he meant. I did not think for a minute that our mutual friend had gone off to the Middle East to join the tiny sect who still live in the middle of ancient Samaria, keeping alive a way of life that goes back to long before the time of Jesus. To visit the Samaritans, particularly to watch their Passover celebration, as many tourists do, offers a fascinating glimpse into the time and world of the Bible. But that wasn’t what my friend meant.

Today, the ‘Samaritans’ have become world-famous as an organization for helping people in extreme distress. They listen, on the telephone or in person, to the horrible things that have happened to their fellow human beings, and try to talk calmly through the problems and help the sufferer accept the way things are and see the way forward. Many thousands of people have been restrained from suicide, or other extreme acts, through this usually unseen ministry...

Taken from John for Everyone – by Tom Wright