In this passage the Samaritan woman illustrates how worldview shapes a community, including social behaviors of insiders, expectations of outsiders, and the community’s religious beliefs. This story presents a clash of cultures between Samaritans and Jews, which is evidenced in a variety of ways.
Notice the woman is surprised that Jesus, a Jew, would interact with her, a Samaritan (vs. 9). Because of the historical tensions between the two cultures, Jews typically did not interact with Samaritans. The woman also mentions the different religious beliefs between the two cultures. Specifically, she says that Samaritans worship at Mt. Gerizim (“on this mountain”) and the Jews worship in Jerusalem (vs. 20). When the disciples arrive, they are surprised that Jesus, a male, is socializing with a woman who is not known to him (vs. 27).
After reading the story of the Samaritan woman, think about your own culture. (This may be the culture of your home, your church, your ethnic community, your nation, or some other specific culture.) Identify the culture you are examining, then in at least 3 paragraphs, identify various building blocks of your culture, including social behaviors of insiders, expectations of outsiders, and the community’s religious beliefs.
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