February 28, 2023

Appearances

“At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, What do You seek? or, Why do You speak with her?”

John 4:27 (NASB)

This story seems like it happened a hundred years ago: I worked as a counselor at a Youth Camp. Upon my arrival, the first thing I noticed was I was being partnered with adult-married woman. We were assigned to a small group of students for the week. The idea (I was told) was we would act as surrogate parents for four female and four male students. During small group times, we were to interact with the material and work with our students. One night, after finishing the big-group time, we all went to the girls building. We began our group time on the well-lit front porch. This way, the female students could head directly inside after. We shared the lesson and later wrapped up. When we finished, one of the female students started crying. The girl’s “mother” had gone inside for the night. I tried to help. The girl began to tell me about her family problems, then she became more upset. I told her to share with her “mother” what had happened. As she headed inside, a male counselor came to the porch. He told me to head out. He said it wasn’t good for appearances. I thought to myself, “We’re sitting on the well-lit front porch dude.” I didn’t really understand the potential circumstances as a young Christian. I saw it through a deputy’s eyes. Help when you can, our sheriff used to say. Appearances…

“…they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman…” Jesus broke from tradition. There was a rabbinical precept: “Let no one talk with a woman in the street, no, not with his own wife.” The disciples held Jesus to be a rabbi and felt that he was acting in a way beneath his dignity.[1] It would have been unusual for a rabbi (like Jesus) or any Jewish man to converse publicly with a woman. Jewish teaching warned against spending too much time talking with women because of temptation and the appearance of impropriety.[2] The Rabbinical writings taught that it was beneath a man’s dignity to converse with women. It was one of the six things which a Rabbi might not do. “Let no one,” it is written, “converse with a woman in the street, not even with his own wife.” It was also held in these writings that a woman was incapable of profound religious instruction. “Rather burn the sayings of the law than teach them to women.”[3] Jesus definitely broke the tradition. Jesus saw through it though. He showed that He cared for the lowliest of people in the eyes of the Jews. He also showed his disciples that He had good reasons for doing what He did. This was an important lesson for the disciples to learn. This gospel of hope would cross-cultural barriers soon, and the Jews would have a tough time.

  Can there be problems with the opposing sex alone while sharing Christ? You better believe it. We aren’t Jesus though, who knows the thoughts of every person and their motives. We are still fragile. But recognize one thing, Jesus had an appointment with the woman, and He knew the results. You and I don’t. If you are sharing the gospel, take the time to be wise to your circumstances and locations. Appearances can change your circumstances if you are not careful.

[1] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Jn 4:27.

[2] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jn 4:27.

[3] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 2 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 124.