The Other Samaritan

Jesus’ invitation to the Samaritan woman holds true for us today.

Editor’s Note: This sermon includes two visual aids: “Christ and the Samaritan Woman,” a painting by Jacek Malczewski (1909) and “The Water of Life,” a bronze sculpture by Stephen Broadbent (1994). These images are included in the downloadable PowerPoint file, and links to the images appear in the “Sources” section at the end of the installment.

 

Believing is Seeing

They say, “Seeing is believing.” If that’s the case, we’re at a disadvantage when it comes to meeting Jesus in the Scriptures. We use our ears to hear stories of his life. As we listen to Scriptures read aloud, we must engage our imaginations to picture those scenes.

But visual learning can help us connect with the story if we use our eyes to augment the biblical witness. So why not enlist a couple of great artists to help us as we explore the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well? The first artist painted about a...