The woman at the well in John 4 provides a contrast to the story of Jesus' meeting with Nicodemus, an educated, religious, Jewish male. Juxtaposing Jesus' encounter with an uneducated, pagan Gentile woman, John teaches us that no works, however good, can earn God's favor. And no one, no matter how far removed from God, can ever be disqualified as a recipient of His love and grace.