Early church fathers called her a prostitute and this description stuck with her. At best she was seen as a promiscuous woman, but Jesus never said she had been divorced five times. He said she had five husbands and the one she was with now was not her husband.
Statistically some of those may have been divorce, but likely death as well. And as far as the man she was with, what if it was a Levirate marriage, or a Roman solider who she could not marry? Jesus also never tells her to “go and sin no more”. He does not rebuke her.
What if his words were more of compassion than condemnation? She engaged with him in a deep, theological conversation about worship and he met her there. He revealed himself as the Messiah to her and she was the first preacher and evangelist. Why would the town listen to her or believe her if she was the town harlot? Instead, they believed her testimony and became believers in Jesus because of it.
I painted this scene of John 4 to remind viewers of a different alternative to the one they have likely heard in sermons.
What if she was grieving and Jesus met her with compassion and empowerment?
