Joh 4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
Joh 4:9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Jesus was on his way from Judea to Galilee. But he needed to go through Samaria. Although going to Galilee through Samaria was the most direct route, strict Jews, wishing to avoid defilement, by passed Samaria by taking a longer route; they had to cross the Jordan and travel on the Eastern side of the river. By going through Samaria, Jesus broke a relationship barrier.
When the Samaritan woman came to fetch water, Jesus asked her to give him some water. By doing so ,he broke through the racial barrier. Racial prejudice was deep between the Jews and Samaritans. Secondly, by talking to a Samaritan woman ,he broke the gender barrier. Jews considered Samaritan women to be unclean from birth. Thirdly, Jesus broke the religious barrier. The Jews considered themselves more superior because they were” sons of Abraham “.
We face the same challenges today .We are still faced with racial,cultural , tribal and even clan prejudices. We still have many barriers based on the level of Education , social class, family background etc. Breaking such barriers and loving people as they are is an obligation for every believer. Remember all of us – every human being – is ” made in the image of God ” . All of us share a common origin.
Further readings:
Gen 1:26-28
Act 10:34
Rom 10:12
🙏Blessed Day🙏