Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker and Karoline Lewis explore the woman at the well—one of the New Testament's most transformative encounters. This episode unpacks how an unnamed Samaritan woman becomes the first person to receive Jesus' explicit "I am" declaration.

Key Discussion Points:

- Correcting Misreadings: The woman is NOT immoral or "a woman of ill repute." The hosts challenge false assumptions about her five husbands and emphasize staying with what's actually in the text.

- Old Testament Type Scene: The well setting echoes betrothal scenes (Jacob/Rachel, Moses/Zipporah), but Jesus subverts expectations—this meeting leads to spiritual rebirth and witness, not marriage.

- Transformation Through Misunderstanding: Like Nicodemus with "born from above," the woman initially misunderstands "living water." But her openness moves her further in faith than Nicodemus—from confusion to recognizing Jesus as prophet to becoming a witness.

- She Left Her Water Jar: A powerful detail showing her transformation. She came to draw water but leaves with living water and a new vocation.

- First "I Am" Statement: Verse 26 contains Jesus' first absolute "I am" (ego eimi) in John's Gospel—given to a Samaritan woman, not to Jewish leaders. This echoes God's self-revelation to Moses in Exodus 3.

- Harvest Imagery: In the Passover agricultural context, Jesus teaches that the fields are already ripe for harvest—the woman just demonstrated immediate witness rather than waiting.

- "Savior of the World": The only time "savior" appears in John's Gospel, spoken by Samaritans after abiding with Jesus.

- Worship Planning Tip: Given the passage's length (42 verses), use reader's theater rather than a single reader. A script will be posted on the Narrative Lectionary Facebook page.