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Answer
In Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, He pointed out to her that “you worship what you do not know” “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”, (John 4:22). This was part of a broader discussion in which Jesus offered her living water, leading to her salvation.
While traveling from Judea to Galilee, Jesus decided to pass through Samaria “And he must needs go through Samaria.”, (John 4:4). Not everyone would choose this path due to the historical tension between the Samaritans and the Jewish people. After the monarchy period in Israel, Assyria conquered Israel and resettled people from different Assyrian regions in Samaria “And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.”, (2 Kings 17:24). These newcomers worshipped false gods and introduced various idolatrous practices “Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.”, (2 Kings 17:29). The Samaritans who followed were descendants of intermarriages and were not accepted as Jewish by their compatriots; they also worshipped false gods alongside the God of the Bible “So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their ch
Children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.”, (2 Kings 17:41).
When Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “You worship what you do not know” “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”, (John 4:22), He was recognizing this cultural history. It was unusual for a Jewish man to speak with a Samaritan woman “Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”, (John 4:9), yet Jesus initiated a conversation with her. After asking her for a drink, He offered her living water for eternal life (John 4:10-14). She was uncertain of His identity “Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?”, (John 4:12), so Jesus demonstrated His knowledge of her. He noted that she had had five husbands, and the man she was with was not her husband (John 4:16-18). She recognized then that He was a prophet “The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.”, (John 4:19).
The woman at the well also acknowledged that the Samaritans had a different understanding of how to worship God, and she looked to Jesus to provide the answer “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”, (John 4:20).
www.bibliatodo.com/en/bible/king-james-version/john-4-20″>(John 4:20). Jesus responded by explaining that the true worship of God was not geographically limited to Samaria or Jerusalem “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.”, (John 4:21). Jesus said of the Samaritans, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews” “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”, (John 4:22, ESV). The Jewish people had clear direction about who God was and how to worship Him. The Samaritans had lost that certainty in their pursuit of a more pluralistic approach.
The Samaritan woman’s doubt and uncertainty reflected that of the general population of the region of Samaria. But salvation had come from the Jews in the form of the Messiah, the Son of God, in the line of David. Despite the woman’s confusion, she did understand the expectation that the Messiah would come “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.”, (John 4:25). At that point, Jesus made the direct claim to her that He was the Messiah “Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”, (John 4:26).
The woman left her waterpot at the well and went to the town to tell people about the Messiah (John 4:28-30). Up to that point, it could be said of the Samaritans that “you worship what you do not know” “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvat
ion is of the Jews. », (John 4:22), but after Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman from Sychar, they were able to know the One whom they were worshiping. Many of the people of Sychar believed in Jesus because of what the woman had told them «And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. », (John 4:39). Many more believed in Him because of what He told them over the next two days (John 4:40-41). Now they knew whom they were worshiping because they had believed in Him «and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. », (John 4:42).
As John explains in the introduction to his gospel, Jesus came revealing God the Father «No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. », (John 1:18). Those who heed His word and believe in Jesus can know with certainty whom they are worshiping. The disciples believed in Him and had come to know who He was «And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. », (John 6:69). In another context Jesus challenged His listeners to believe in Him so that they might know «But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. », (John 10:38). We do not need to be individuals who worship what we do not know. Similar to the Samaritans, we can attain genuine understanding of God through faith in Jesus.
