Jesus and his disciples traveled northward through Samaria, they came to a city called Sychar. It was a hot day and the sun beat down on the head. The sweat poured off his brow as he walked along the dusty road. It was probably mid-summer when the air is very hot that he and his disciples decided to take a rest a well. While Jesus was taking rest, the disciples went to get some food. At that time a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well and a long conversation ensues between her and Jesus. In fact this is the longest recorded conversation anyone ever had with Jesus. Jesus was tired and thirsty. Jesus fully human and fully God. He felt thirst and hunger like humans do. No matter, what we ever feel in life, when we are weak, we can remember Jesus know what it means to be tired and thirsty. He can empathize with those who go through difficult times in life.
The woman was a Samaritan who was not supposed to have conversations with Jews. The most common view as to the origin of the Samaritans is that they were a mixed race who developed as a result of intermarriages between earlier Hebrews of the northern kingdom of Israel, and the Assyrian settlers in Israel following the captivity of the northern kingdom in 722-21 B.C. Other pagans eventually infiltrated the land and mingled with them (cf. Ezra 4:2,9,10). They were a group of people despised by the Jews (John 4:9). It is so even today in modern society, we have made groups among ourselves. Northerners, southerners, Americans, Asians, Africans and many many other. Even in our own neighborhood, we have the rich and the privileged who are not to speak with the poor and the outcasts. Public schools are not supposed to speak with private schools. Leftists are not supposed to speak with rightists. But Jesus came to break the barriers and the rules that divide us. The Son of God shared his basic need with an outcast woman and asks for a drink.
This woman’s name is not mentioned. It is not usual for people to walk around in the middle east at noon time, people prefer to stay indoors due to the heat outside. A writer says, “ Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun.” But this woman is out and about and furthermore, she is at work in the mid-day heat. She is coming to the village well with a jar on her head. It was hard work, but women used to like it because they get to socialize with other women, chat, but only after the sunset. We dont know why she chose that time to go to the well. She may not want to be with other women, may be due to her background, since later on we find out that she had a complicated reputation. Or, maybe she ran out of water, and her kids were thirsty. Whatever the reason, she was a woman on the move. But all the more, there is reason to believe that it was a providential arrangement from heaven to meet with a man she needed to talk to. We can conclude safely that grace was at work, which John Wesley called, 'Prevenient Grace'. The Grace of God that follow you even when you are not aware of it.
The woman approached the well, she saw that someone was there. It was a man, his dress shows that he is Jewish. So she felt quite safe, because Jews would not talk to Samaritans and she was a woman that makes it even safer. Against her expectations, Jesus asks her for a drink. Now a conversation starts between Jesus of Nazareth and this not yet named Samaritan woman at the Well. Her question shows that she is not shy, rather smart. She was not really afraid of anyone and doesn't seem to be so here either.
Instead of giving him water, she was asking him questions. In fact, we do not know if she gave him water to drink at any point. Jesus told her about the living water that he can give so that she would not thirst ever. Some water is dead that we continue to drink. Dead water is the same old television show every night. Dead water is the same old argument you get into every day. Dead water can be a habit that is destroying you while giving you thirsting for more. The woman was thirsty in spirit and needed the living water to quench her thirst. Jesus gives life that flows from plenty to abundance. It will quench your thirst and quench the thrist of the world through your. “The water he gives will become a spring in your life” .
The woman had doubts about this living water because Jesus di not have anything to draw with. She knew that Jesus had no bucket or ropes. Jesus is offering the living water with no ropes or buckets. The living water Jesus offers is free to anyone who asks. Nobody can earn it nor purchase if with a price. You don't have to do anything. You don't need any other means other than to come and ask Jesus.
Then Jesus turns the conversation about her own thirst. Jesus asked her to bring her husband, she says she doesn't have one. Then Jesus confirms, that she is correct, she doesn't have a husband now, but she had five in the past. The man with whom she is now is not her husband. So what shall we make of this story? Was she a woman who consistently making the same kind of mistake? She married five times to the wrong type of guy? But her actions as unfolds, when she goes to the town and tells other people was quite impressive. “Come and see a man. A man, who told me everything I have ever done.” (John 4:29). In fact Jesus did not talk about everything she has ever done. But the one element that they discussed, that seemed to her to characterize all she was.
Sometimes many time we let some events or decimating situation define us. This woman was more than a water seeker. She was more of a seeker of the truth. She identified Jesus immediately as a prophet. She knew the scriptures, she knew the Jews and Samaritans were half siblings, both being descendants for Jacob, who gave them this well. The biggest issue was the place of worship. Jerusalem had been the historical city of worship and the site of the temple. But after the division, between the northern and the southern tribes, the people in the North worshipped on the mountain in Samaria. There was a long-standing controversy between the Samaritans and the Jews as to where worship was to be rendered. The Samaritans contended for Gerizim, the Hebrews for Jerusalem. The Jews were right, of course (cf. 2 Chron. 6:6; 7:12; Psa. 78:68), but that was rather immaterial at this point. Jesus observed that the time was coming when worship would not be a matter of some external place (cf. Acts 17:24); rather, it would be spiritual in nature. Jesus hit the nail right on the head, when he replied that God is not on this mountain or that mountain. The true worshippers will worship God in Truth and in Spirit.”
Then the woman starts another topic, about the Messiah. “I know the Messiah is coming.” (John 4:25). Jesus then answered directly, and surely, “I am he the one who is speaking to you.” 4:26. At this time, the disciples returned from the market, with food. They were astonished to find him talking to a woman, but no one had dared to say anything. She uses that opportunity to run to the village and call everyone out to see this man. Was she seeking more than a prophet? She seemed to be. She tells the crowd, “Could he be the Messiah?”
If I were to ask what kind of people I would like to see in my church, I would say I like persons like this woman. I can tell you this, give me someone like this woman, with the help of God, I will soon see a thriving Church. That is the church you want to be part of. Thats church you want to be the Pastor of. Interestingly, I don't know her name, but I know everything else about her. I can tell you this she is a www, a wild and wonderful woman. I like this woman, I want her to be a member of the church, I want her to lead the outreach and the inreach and the mission and the Evangelism committees. The Gospel says, “ Many Samaritans from that city believed in Jesus because of this woman’s testimony. When these folks came to Jesus, they asked him to stay with them, Jesus stayed there two days. This is the only recorded incident in the Bible that Jesus extended his stay at the request of the community. And it happened, in the most unlikely place, a town in Samaria, the Jews avoided. Now she gets compliments from the villagers, “it is no longer because of what you said that we believe, now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world (John 4:42)
We don’t know how many people were converted in that city, but it was obviously a substantial number. In fact, more people in that city accepted Jesus as the Messiah than in any other community. It all began with one woman, who had come to the well in the mid day heat to get water. Writer Rev Kalas says, "we could call this woman wild, since she married five times, and now living with someone out of wedlock. Yet it was this woman who started the church of Sychar, in Samaria. But we should also call her wonderful, because, I want her to be part of my church, in fact the chair of several committees. In fact many would consider her as a long time loser, but aren’t we are all long term losers? We were rescued by the Grace of God, and Grace alone. The truth is that like many of us, she was seeking the truth, and when she found him, she accepted him."
I am so much impressed that the people of that city believed her. How did a woman of that reputation convince others? Some of us do not want to share Jesus to others, because we are ashamed or our words will not be believed. The story of this woman should dispel any such arguments. If this woman could make a case for her faith, then almost anyone could. The people who knew her saw the dramatic change in the life of this woman after talking to this strange Jew, they also wanted to come and see. I wish I could see her face when she returned to the city after this. I am sure I would have been persuaded to go and see this man.
John says that “many of the Samaritans believed on him.” This reveals that Jesus truly had prophesied correctly; this was an area “white” unto harvest
After the death of Stephen, the Jerusalem church was scattered abroad. In this connection, Philip the evangelist went to Samaria and proclaimed Christ (Acts 8:5). The multitude “gave heed with one accord” to his message. We read more about the growth of the church in Samria in the book of Acts Chapter 8. the gospel was proclaimed in “many villages” of the Samaritans (Acts 8:25). Much of this success could be traceable to the visit of Jesus to that region and the encounter with the woman at the well.
Gideon News had the story of the conversion of Pastor Peter Dennett who is today the minister of Immanuel Church in Brighton, England. In 1989, while 22, he became an alcoholic after the sudden death of his father. He was arrested for a violent crime and later shooting several people. He was sentenced for several years. While he was in jail his alcoholic mother became a Christian. That's a long story as well. It had been a long road for her; she was a widow and an an alcoholic. She was admitted to a facility to treat for alcohol addiction. Then in that facility she met a Christian woman who was a visiting minister. She argued with her and agreed to go to her church. On her first contact with people who believed in God, she was ‘blown away.’ as she says. They all had radiance in their face and a caring love flowed from their hearts. She gave her life to Christ at one of the services there.
So this mom went off on a prison visit and told her son Peter what had happened. Mom and Peter's sister joined in sending letters, books and Bibles to the prison for Peter. He didn't read them, but promptly put them in a cardboard bo. But God's prevenient grace was at work. Peter got a new cell mate to share cell with. He gave to him the cardboard box of books that his mother and sister had sent him. “This is meant for people like you,” he said. To Peter’s surprise the man loved them, started reading them day and night. Changes in him day by day were phenomenal. Peter could not deny the effect of those books and letters in that man, though those were meant for him. At 3 o’clock one morning Peter sat in the darkness on his bed and prayed, “God, I don’t even know if you’re there, but if you are and if you give me the life I’ve seen in this fellow, then I give you everything.” Regeneration had begun. His biggest problem was forgiveness. How could God forgive him his sins? Because of his actions, several people were paralyzed, and a couple of them were in wheel chairs. But then he came to understand the cross of Christ, that on Calvary Jesus was made sin for him, suffering condemnation in his place, and because of the life and death of the Son of God, sinners have forgiveness.
That day the two men together sang in the prison chapel Charles Wesley’s hymn, “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood” and as he sang this verse an enormous sense of assurance exploded in Peter’s heart:
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.
My chains fell off,
My heart was free,
I woke, set forth and followed Thee.
Peter Dennett had begun a new life. He described the change in this comment, “I can tell you that I’ve never hit anybody from that day to this.” Several years later, he became a pastor in Brighton. As David sang, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8). Set aside our divisions and draw closer to God. It is through our lives and our church that the world will taste the goodness of God’s love.
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