The woman at the Well

[whyte baer]

I had always thought of the woman at the well being a "bad" woman. Divorced a few times, not married to the man she is with. Jesus knew this and reveals to her who He was. I started thinking, what did she do wrong?
Only men were allowed to grant divorces. She was divorced a few times. Usually the only reason for divorce was for being barren. She couldn't have kids, so she ends up with a man, possibly widowed, maybe older, possibly his kids are grown and gone, and he needed companionship . She went to the well in the heat of the day (9th hour=11or12) when no one else was there ( maybe to not be ridiculed by the other women) she was probably a very lonely woman , and meeting Jesus was a big deal for her ( her 15 minutes of fame lets say) When Jesus offers her living water, so she may not thirst,  it could be said she had a much better outlook on life.....she probably got released form her sadness and depression.    Thoughts?

[noeleena]

Hi,

yes men could put away thier women , it was only the men who had a say  remember we were and have been not worth any value  used dumped and abused and killed and whats changed to day not a lot its still going on in quite a few county,s will men ever wake up to the fact we have been liberated from all that ,

we have a chance to be our selfs to live a life that is neat and worthy of who we are, funny the Lord came to us as well even then .

What gets me is some of us cant have our own children yet The Lord accepted us with out ? , why cant men , and when you cant have your own child  do men really understand what its like , ...........

...noeleena...

[Joel]

The way I see it a few scriptures in Matthew 9 help in understanding the way Jesus operated during his ministry.
10-And it came to pass, 
as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11-And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
12-But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
13-But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Joel

[indianabob]

Friend NOELEENA,

Please consider the inner feelings of mankind since time began.
Bob

Why cannot men just get along?
Warning against Pride

James 4:1

1What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your PLEASURES that wage war in your members?

2You LUST and do not have; so you commit murder. You are ENVIOUS and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

3You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it upon your lusts.

Pride of life, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh.

Men will not learn to love their wives the way Christ loves each of us.
Women will not learn to reverence their husbands the way we each should reverence the Lord Jesus.
Neither one will learn that God has made us to perfectly fit our roles in life and submit to one another in love and to God's authority in all things.

God made us as we are, but we are still accountable for how we act and live.

Indiana Bob

[rumpelstiltskin]

I'm a man who is unable to procreate due to personal reasons - I can't have children.

[Kat]

I think this is a interesting story about this Samaritan woman. First of all knowing that the Samaritans were racially mixed people, with Jew and Gentile blood. Now although they too worshiped the Hebrew's God Jehovah, they were not of the pure bloodline of God's chosen people, so therefore not considered in line for salvation, same as the Gentiles. Though maybe not quite as despised as the totally 'pagan' Gentiles, they were still looked on as dogs and the Jews avoided all contact with them as well. The Jews were so contemptuous of them that they would even take a longer route and go around Samaria rather than going through Samaritan territory.

Now you can see that Jesus is beginning to break down these walls of scorn by not only passing through their territory, but Himself communication with a Samaritan and a woman at that.

John 4:27 At this point his disciples arrived, and they were astonished that he was talking to a woman. Yet no one said, "What do you want from her?" or, "Why are you talking to her?"

So Jesus is teaching the disciples a valuable lesson. And He went so far as to go into the Samaritan town and spending 2 days there (I'm sure the disciples went with Him as well), speaking the truth, by which many believed.

John 4:40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed there for two days.
v. 41 And many more believed because of what He said.

Jesus also told the story about the Good Samaritan precisely because the Samaritans were despised by the Jews. The disciples were beginning to learn that God is not a respecter of persons, but it was a process that was slowly being shown to them over time, little by little to change what was so embedded in the Jewish mind. Yes this is the beginning of God setting aside the physical Israel and choosing a spiritual Israel.

http://bible-truths.com/emails.html ---------------------

Many are called, but few are chosen, and the last shall be first and first shall be last. Israel was hand-picked of all nations to be God's example of how a nation can be blessed and prosper when they obey and love God. Israel did not pass the test. God proved through Israel, that the carnal mind cannot keep the laws of God, nor can the carnal mind live God and love neighbor.  So God is calling out a people who are not in a place of honor in this world. Poor people in the city, farmers, peasants, unlearned, people to a large extent.

As in the bidding to the wedding feast, God said bid the poor, maimed, the blind, etc., to come to the feast (of salvation). Paul said,

"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that NOT MANY wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:  But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak thing of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and thighs which are despised, has God chosen, yes, and things which are not, to being to naught things that are" (I Cor. 1:26-28).

I know that I fit into this bunch of social rejects. But thank God He is making KINGS out of peasants!

So God is now calling a "spiritual Israel" who obey from the mind and heart, seeing that that is where God has placed His Holy Spirit.  And so the "Children of the kingdom" (those who were in line for he throne--Israel) are set aside unto God chooses from the Gentiles a people to bear His Name. And then, Israel of old will be grafted back into the tree of life (Rom. 11), all Israel will then be saved, as well as the rest of Gentile world.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat