Be Still And Know

John 4:13-14 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” Jesus was in conversation with a Samaritan woman when he spoke these words. Everything about their meeting is surprising. First of all, it would have astonished everyone that he had travelled through Samaria. For deep, historical reasons, the rivalry between the Samaritans and the Jews was intense. After the breakup of the kingdom of Israel following the death of Solomon, the northern territory was annexed by the Assyrians, who resettled the area with foreigners. As far as the Judaeans in the south were concerned, Samaria had lost its racial and religious purity. The divide was made even deeper when the Samaritans built their own temple at Mount Gerizim in around 400 BC. To put it mildly, Samaritans and Jews hated one another. Jews would almost always have made a careful detour