The Jews looked down with self-pride upon the Samaritans because they were merely half-breed Jews. They had intermarried with gentiles, (a practice forbidden by Jewish Law), after being captured by the Assyrians centuries earlier. Even though the Samaritans followed some of their past Jewish roots, the Jews despised them because they violated many other important sacred teachings. Consequently, a mutual, deep-seated contempt developed between the two countries. The woman in this story had even more problems to deal with. Because of her wayward lifestyle, she most certainly was shunned by her own neighbors. This is seen because she came alone to draw her water during the hot part of the day, suggesting she was not accepted by the women of her village who normally would gather socially to draw water during the cooler hours of day. It was a cultural norm for men, especially a rabbi, to not speak to strange women in public, and certainly never a Samaritan woman. Further, no Jew would consider even touching a utensil used by the hated Samaritans, but Jesus requested a drink from her pitcher. Most Jews walked miles out of their way to avoid going through Samaria, but Jesus walked 40 miles strait through the interior to seek this woman out, to display his unconditional love for her, and to offer salvation.
The Setting of the Story
