27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
Arriving on the scene the disciples discover Jesus discoursing with a woman – and a Samaritan woman at that – and were decidedly befuddled. To their credit, they spoke not a word! They perhaps had wondered why He would stoop so low as to talk with such a contemptible woman – a woman fully deserving of scorn and reproach. Isn’t it interesting how we can quickly size up others imperfections yet be so blinded to our own flaws? We must never forget that we are all in the same sinking ship apart from Jesus making the Titanic appear as mere child’s play.
“How rarely we weigh our neighbor in the same balance in which we weigh ourselves.” Thomas a Kempis
2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Psalms 14:2-3 (NIV)
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 (NIV)
10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:10-12 (NIV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23 (NIV)
“The genius of Christianity takes the words of Paul ‘who gave himself for our sins’ as true and efficacious. We are not to look upon our sins as insignificant trifles. On the other hand, we are not to regard them as so terrible that we must despair. Learn to believe that Christ was given not for picayune (petty) and imaginary transgressions, but for mountainous sins; not for one or two, but for all; not for sins that can be discarded, but for sins that are stubbornly ingrained.” Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians
More than likely, the disciples were all too often taken aback by Jesus’ actions only to discover later the purpose behind them therefore they were cautious in asking Him about His conversation with this woman. They acquiesced, realizing it had to be for some good reason.
“All is well which Jesus Christ says and does. Whatever they thought, they said nothing.” Matthew Henry
We can trust what Jesus says and does because He plainly stated that He came only to do His Father’s will – His good, pleasing and perfect will. Jesus tells us in John:
38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. John 6:38 (NIV)
And what was Jesus’ mission? It is perhaps best summed up in the following words:
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10 (NIV)
No soul too low, no sin too grave – He came to strive for, seek out, desire to possess try to obtain the lost. Ezekiel tells us:
16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. Ezek 34:16 (NIV)
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 (NIV)
“I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.” John Newton
“You know to what extent You have already changed me, You who first healed me of the lust of vindicating myself, so that You might forgive all my remaining iniquities, and heal my diseases, and redeem my life from corruption, and crown me with loving-kindness and tender mercies, and satisfy my desire with good things.” St. Augustine