(Part 1 of 2)
“So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. I was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”-John 4:5-6
This story, recorded for us in John 4, focuses on a woman that Jesus encounters at a well. Jesus was traveling from Judea to Galilee, when he became tired and stopped to rest. The disciples had all left to find food, leaving Jesus at the well; when this woman shows up to draw water.
The timing of her trip to the well seems somewhat peculiar, as most women would have visited the well in the early morning hours before the sun came up. Perhaps she was attempting to avoid the congestion, or perhaps she was avoiding becoming the topic of their morning gossip column. Whatever the reason for her delay, she was about to have an encounter with Jesus!
It is plain to see, as you read the story, that this woman did not live an easy life and she had good reason to feel jaded and question whether Jesus was who He claimed to be.
“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealing with Samaritans.” John 4:7-9
Is it just me, or does Jesus have a way of showing up and hanging out with messed up people? Read the gospels! Jesus never ran from people whose lives were a mess, he ran to them! Look around, wherever you are right now. You are surrounded by people with messed up lives, wrecked emotions, questionable motives, and raw attitudes. I remind our congregation, often, that we are a messy church. On any given Sunday you are sitting in the company of people struggling to overcome addictions, sexual immorality, doubt, unbelief, unforgiveness, marriage problems, and financial crisis. Yet, that’s how I know that Jesus is there with us; because Jesus loves and looks for messed up people!
The Samaritan woman was one of those people! She had several life-altering experiences with racism, bad relationships and religion that made her question the authenticity of Christ’s claims.
The Samaritans were a racially mixed society with Jewish and pagan ancestry. There was no love loss between the Jews and the Samaritans. This woman grew up being exposed to deeply racist attitudes toward Jews and was on the receiving end of that racism from them. Couple that with the fact that in those days and that culture women were often treated as mere property; you can be certain that she would have held some very strong opinions and certainly questioned Jesus about His intentions.
His answer to her reservations? “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”-John 4:10
Jesus doesn’t simply have the answers; He is the answer!
Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church
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