John 4:7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and JESUS asked her for a drink. HE was alone at the time as HIS disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised that a Jew would ask a "despised Samaritan" for anything---usually they wouldn't even speak to them!—and she remarked about this to Jesus. HE replied: "If you only knew what a wonderful gift GOD has for you, and who I am, you would ask ME for some living water. [Living Bible Translation]
Definition: "Jew" – (Heb. Yehudi) In its narrowest interpretation, a "Jew" means someone from the tribe of Judah (Heb. Yehudah). [From Rabbi Shlom Chein]
Samaritans and the Jews
To understand why the woman in John 4:7 had such a strong reaction to Jesus asking her for a drink of water, it helps to understand a little about the history of the hostility between the Jews to the Samaritans. This hostility probably existed at least 800 years before this woman met JESUS.
The Hostility
After the death of King Solomon (around 922 B.C.), the twelve tribes of Israel, which had been united under King David and King Solomon, divided into two kingdoms—a Northern kingdom and a Southern Kingdom. Ten tribes made up the Northern Kingdom and two tribes (the tribe of Benjamin and the tribe of Judah) made up the Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom became known as "Israel" and the Southern Kingdom became known as "Judah." Each Kingdom had its own king. One of the kings of the Northern kingdom purchased a hill upon which he built a city called Samaria. Later the whole region became known as Samaria." See, David Carson's "Who Are The Samaritans," www.davcarson.home.mindspring.com. During later years, when the Assyrians conquered Samaria and deported the people to Assyria, the Samarians intermarried with people outside their race and religion. This resulted in the Samarian practicing a "blended religion," since they adopted some of the religious beliefs of the people with whom they intermarried. This also resulted in the Jews (the people from Judah) thinking of the Samaritan as not being pure in race or religion. When the people of the Southern Kingdom (after their return from exile to Babylon) returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple, one of the Samaritan leaders, Sanballat, was told that he could not take part in the rebuilding. Sanballat became angry, which purportedly led to the Samaritans building their own temple of worship in Samaria, separate from the temple in Jerusalem. The fact that the Samaritans did not accept Jerusalem as the one true place of worship increased the friction between the Samaritans and the Jews even more. Over the years the animosity worsened.
JESUS and the Samaritan Woman
By the time of JESUS, the general bitterness between Jews and Samaritans had grown to open hatred. Not only was the Samaritan woman surprised that Jesus would ask her for anything, but even the disciples were surprised that HE was talking "with her." See, John 4:27. However, during her brief encounter, the Samaritan woman came to accept JESUS as "THE MESSIAH" (i.e., THE SAVIOR). Although the Samaritan woman came to draw liquid water, she was at the right place at the right time to meet someone who could give her something far better---living water (i.e. eternal life).
Drinking Water
Up to 60% of the body's weight is water:
According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.
According to Howard Perlman in "The Water In You," water serves a number of vital functions:
- It is a vital nutrient to the life of every cell (acting as a building material);
- It regulates our internal body temperature through sweating and respiration;
- It helps transport the proteins, carbohydrates that our body uses as good through the bloodstream;
- It helps to flush waste out our of the body through urination and stool;
- It acts as a shock absorber for the brain, the spinal cord and for fetuses;
- It helps form saliva, which is necessary for digestion;
- It lubricates the joints.
See, "The Water in You," by Howard Perlman, www.water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.
Our bodies continuously lose water. We lose water from breathing, sweating, skin evaporation, urine and stool. So it is important to replace the large amount of water the body loses every day. This is particularly important to replace water on hot days or in warmer climates, during strenuous exercise, in high altitudes and in older adults, whose sense of thirst may not be as sharp. If you do not get a sufficient amount of fluid, you risk dehydration, which can lead to other health risks.
In an article entitled "Water May Be The Secret Weapon To Weight Loss", Bill Hendrick reports on August 23, 2010 that a new study shows that drinking water helps people to lose weight and to keep it off. See, www.WebMD.com:
Brenda Davy, PhD, an associate professor of nutrition at Virginia Tech and senior author of a new study, says that drinking just two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals helps people melt pounds away
Davy states that in earlier studies they found that middle aged and older adults who drank two cups of water right before eating a meal ate 75 to 90 fewer calories during the meal.
In "6 Reasons to Drink More Water," by Kathleen Zelman, MPH, Review by Dr. Louise Chang, MD, Zelman notes that water does not have any "magical effect" on weight loss, but substituting high calorie drinks (like soda or other sugary/sweetened beverages) with water can certainly help.
Zelman also notes that eating a water rich diet that is healthier, such as fruits and vegetables, will also help trim calories. Water rich foods usually require that you chew more, are absorbed more slowly in the body and help you fill full. Zelman offers 5 tips to help you drink more:
- Have a beverage or water with every snack and meal.
- Choose beverages you enjoy; you're likely to drink more liquids if you like the way they taste.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.
- Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag.
- Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you're watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.
See, www.WebMD.com.
Drink "For Life"
Drinking high fructose and sugary high-calorie drinks can have serious, life-shortening consequences. According to the researchers and medical experts, avoiding those drinks and drinking water can have beneficial consequences. According to John 4: 7 accepting GOD's "living water" can have everlasting consequences.
There is a common Jewish toast—"L'Chayim"—which means "to Life." Today, let us drink not only "to Live," but let us pray for GOD's spiritual "living water," for life.
Enjoy the day, eat and drink wisely, pray and BE BLESSED!
