Where is Samaria?

“And he [Jesus] must needs go through Samaria” (John 4:4)

Jews didn’t go through Samaria. They despised the Samaritans. They would walk around Samaria—adding nearly seventy miles to their journey—to avoid it. And yet, in John 4, Jesus sat by a well in Samaria as the disciples went into the city to buy food.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water. We don’t know her name. The event is recorded only in John’s gospel. She probably came around noon, when other women wouldn’t be drawing water. Perhaps she wanted to avoid their whispers, disdain, judgment, and ridicule. Her life seemed to be a mess.

Jesus asked for a drink.

Wait—what? Jews wouldn’t drink from vessels used by Samaritans. And on top of that, Jewish men never spoke to a woman in public unless they knew her. In speaking to her, Jesus broke all kinds of barriers—racial, religious, and gender-related. He disregarded every societal, cultural, and ethnic boundary. Why? Because Jesus sees hearts. He was reaching for a confused, beaten-down outcast—a woman who likely wanted to remain invisible, perhaps out of shame from her past and present, living in adultery after having had five husbands.

When Jesus finished His conversation with the Samaritan woman, He revealed He was the Messiah. And when she realized His words would change her life forever, she responded. The once-obscure woman who tried to avoid the public ran through the city, shouting the good news about Jesus. People gathered. They begged Him to stay and minister. Many believed. Perhaps this encounter at the well—and the resulting believers in the city of Sycar—became the seeds of the incredible revival that later took place in Samaria through Philip’s ministry.

Jesus was never bound by tradition.

• When he healed the woman with the issue of blood—though she was considered unclean, Jesus ministered to her.
• When He visited Nain—His only recorded visit there—He raised a widow’s son from the dead. Touching the bier was taboo, but it didn’t stop Jesus.
• When He shared meals with publicans, sinners, and tax collectors, He welcomed people that society rejected.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus crossed many social and cultural barriers. Why? Because it was all about love—reaching the lost and the hurting. He showed us what truly matters. He commanded us to love, and through His actions, He demonstrated the depth of God’s love for every human being. We must reach beyond our own barriers and comfort zones to fulfill His command: “Go therefore and make disciples.” The question is: Where is your Samaria?