Marriage Requires Consent, Commitment and Witnesses

There was a long history of division between the Samaritans and the Jews.  To the surprise of the disciples (and the religious leaders), Jesus loved people and ministered to people who were not Jews. Conversion to Judaism was not a requirement.  Continuing the conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus asked her to go get her husband.  This is awkward.  Then, Jesus reveals that He knows this woman has a reputation problem. Still (and, as we shall soon see to the chagrin of the religious leaders) Jesus continues to discuss the theological question she asked.    Let’s talk about sex. Can you be accidentally married-in-the-eyes of God by having sex?  What is fornication? Adultery?  Experience can make us jaded in relationships. In another place, Jesus says, the law allowed divorce because the people had hard-hearts.  In this story, Jesus mentions only the misrepresentation of virginity (i.e. fornication) as the only cause for divorce. Adultery? Actually, adultery should be forgiven. We’ll resume here next time. *** Chapter 8 (Part 2) RETURNING to Galilee after a trip to Judea, Jesus came, about noon, to the outskirts of the city of  Sychar in Samaria near Jacob’s well, situated on the parcel of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. To her Jesus said: “Give me to drink.” The woman responded: “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus replied: “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, ‘Give me to drink,’ thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” Not understanding, the woman replied: “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?” Jesus answered: “Wh