On the way to Galilee, Jesus went through Samaria. Most Jews would go around Samaria because of their hatred for the Samaritans, but not Jesus. Jesus came to a village that had a great well originally created by Jacob. It was noon which was a quiet time at the well. It was quiet because it was so hot at noon that most of the people drew water in the morning while it was cooler. Jesus' disciples left Him alone and went into the village to buy food. A Samaritan woman came to draw water while Jesus was sitting there. That was strange because no one would normally come to the well at that time of day. In fact, it was even stranger that a Jew would be in town, let alone at the well at noon at the same time a local Samaritan would be there.
Jesus asked her to draw Him a drink which surprised the woman. Two things would have shocked her. First, that a man would talk to her and second, that a Jew would talk to her. She knew that and asked why He would ask her for a drink. Jesus responded by telling her that if she only knew the gift God had for her and had any idea who He was, she would be asking Him and He would give her living water (the Holy Spirit). I would imagine most people would think about what He said. Okay, so who is this man? What is this gift God has for me and what is the living water He is talking about?
She did not ask any one of those questions. It seems to me, she had an attitude that emphasizes the hate the Jews had for the Samaritans and the Samaritans had for the Jews. Instead of the questions most people might think, her hard heart towards the Jews seems to go into competition mode. Her response to Jesus was that her well was deep making it an especially good well. He didn't even have a rope or bucket, so how could He give her any water? Then her feelings come on even stronger by coming at Jesus with, "And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well?" She might have thought, "How can He offer better water than Jacob and his sons (my ancestors, the founder of our nation) gave us. How can He give me better water than he gave even his animals." To me, that was a fairly aggressive exchange, full of prejudice. Could her posture on this be representative of the struggle Jesus had during His entire ministry? Jesus came bringing the Good News, bringing the focus back on God and off rituals and laws. Was all He did met with, "so you think you are greater than Moses, the Law, the Pharisees and Sadducees?"
(Just like the woman, people were rooted in what they knew and what was familiar to them. They were rooted in what they had been told. Even today, in our lives, in our world, we are told many things that stand against the truth of God. When we hear these things over and over again and are not secure in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus, we begin to see them as the truth. So much of the world is following the lies of the one who came to steal and destroy and when the truth of the Gospel is offered, they resist. Jesus reveals the lies and offers so much more - yet the response is similar - so you think you are better than what we know? You think you are better than what we have heard all these years? Think about that. So many people live their lives based on what they have heard rather than studying and learning for themselves. It is so exciting for me to see all of you study Scripture with me in the eStudy. You are reading verses over and over allowing the Holy Spirit to open the Word to you. You are studying and reading not just accepting whatever comes your way. Of course, we listen to and read things by Bible scholars and make that part of our learning process. However, those things are added to studying the Bible ourselves and with all that information, we learn great things. We each need to study the words God gave us in scripture. They were given to us to guide us, encourage us, lead us, and reveal who He is to us. When we understand how great the value is in doing so, then the more dedicated to learning we become. Let me ask you, how much time do you study the God that gives you all you need and has your eternity in His hands? Okay, how much time do you study how to work your new DVD player, cell phone, video game, or whatever? How much time is spent reading mystery novels, romance novels or the like? (I know the answer to this one, I was once an assistant manager at Barnes and Noble.) The point is that we study what we consider to be important. None of these things are particularly bad but when we let them take God's place in our lives, they aren't particularly a good influence on us. As we are told in scripture in Luke 12:34 NLT, "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." We must choose carefully.)
Jesus explained to her, anyone who drank that water would soon be thirsty again. That would create a need to keep coming back to draw water again and again. He went on to tell her the water He was talking about was nothing like well water. If anyone would drink in the water, the Living Water, He offered, they would never be thirsty again. Once His Living Water was consumed, (once the Holy Spirit resided in us) it would become a fresh, bubbling spring within. As a spring is the source for the well, this new spring within the person would be the source of ever satisfying water. That new spring and forever thirst quenching water would give them eternal life. Once a person drinks in the Holy Spirit, he would never thirst again for the waters of earthly wells or for the things of the world. Such a person's thirst for things that do not satisfy will no longer exist for the Spirit gives more than any worldly thing can and with that comes eternal life.
She didn't get it. To me, it again seems she had some attitude gong on. It was like her response was something like, "So, if you have this super water you are talking about, then give me some so I will never be thirsty again. As if there is such a thing. Not only that, then I would never have to come to the well all the time and work hard to draw water."
Jesus may have realized He was not getting through to her and changed the subject a bit. It appeared she didn't think much of Him nor what He said. He told her to go get her husband. Dong that, Jesus would show her He was much more than she thought and that He knew everything about her. She told Him she didn't have a husband. Jesus agreed that she was telling the truth. He went even further by telling her more than she revealed, saying that not only did she not have a husband but she has had 5 husbands. He told her that even the man she was with now was not her husband.
She appeared to have given some ground saying that because He knew all that about her, He must be a prophet. It is interesting to me that she makes no comment at all about her situation. She makes no comment about how He knew all that. She offers no excuse or defense. It seems like she continues to challenge Him. Maybe thinking, "So Mr. Prophet, explain why Jews say worship is to be done in Jerusalem and Samaritans say worship is to be done here at Mount Gerizem?" She completely took the conversation off her personal life and redirected it to a long lasting debate between Jews and Samaritans. She was asking Him to tell her who was right.
Jesus explained a time was coming when it would not matter where a person worshipped God. He told her that the Samaritans knew little about God but the Jews knew God much more and that salvation (the Messiah) would come through the Jews. So when the Messiah came, gave His life, and rose from the dead, many things would change. He would leave the Holy Spirit (the Living Water he talked to her about earlier). These things would change worship. Then worshippers would worship the Father in spirit and truth (not in a particular place). These would be true worshipers, the kind the Father seeks. God is spirit, He is not a place nor an item, but spirit. To truly worship the Father people must worship Him in spirit and truth.
Jesus has finally gotten her attention. She responded directly to what He had talked about. Her response may have again been argumentative and maybe questioning if Jesus had any authority or was worth learning from. She told Him she knew all about the Messiah. She knew He was coming and she even knew He is called the Christ. She went on to say that when He comes, He will explain everything to us. To me, it seems like she was telling Him, "Thanks for your thoughts but when the Messiah comes, I will listen to Him not just some Rabbi passing through the village."
If this had been a chess game, Jesus would have said check mate. His last words to her were, "I am the Messiah!" (notice the exclamation point)
Just then His disciples showed up with food. We are told they were wondering why He was wasting His time with a woman, let alone such a woman. None of them had the courage to actually ask Him.
Here is a great example of the worth Jesus placed on everyone. Everyone is worth dying for, everyone is worth being given the message of salvation. In chapter 3, Jesus took the time to share the Good News with Nicodemus. First of all, Nicodemus was a man. He was a respected religious leader, educated and seeking truth, She was a woman. She was a woman of many men, she was arrogant and argumentative. She was not open to anything except maybe having life be easier. Jesus came after both. There never was, nor is, any prejudice or priority in His mission. His love comes from above and has come to do His Father's will. He has come to save mankind regardless of who they are or what they may have done. He has come for the respected in the community and the lowly and everyone in between.
After Jesus proclaimed He is the Messiah, the woman ran into the village to share her experience. It seems her attitude changed and she "ran" to tell others. When I read that, I wrote in my Bible, "Do we run to share the Good News?"
(Have we been changed by Jesus and the Good News He offers? Do we run as if we too have been given the greatest and most awaited News in all of history? Can we see ourselves in this story? Can we see ourselves resistant and argumentative? Can we see ourselves more focused on living a better, easier life? BUT, once face to face with His truth, love, and mission, do we run to share what we have learned? Are we so excited that we leave our water jar at the well and run to tell others what we have experienced? Could we see that water jar as representing our earthly possessions? We have held the things of the world but when meeting the Christ, would we leave those things and run to tell others we have found something of much greater value? What we once thought were valuable things, have been replaced by something so much better. I have once again been challenged, have you?)
She did not run into the village telling everyone she had met the Messiah. She ran telling her story and more or less encouraging them to come and meet Him. By telling them her story, they were indeed encouraged to come and see for themselves, then decide. Her words were, "Could He possibly be the Messiah?" Hearing that, what did the villagers do? In verse 30, "So the people came streaming from the village to see Him."
Remember, the disciples had just gone to the village to get some food for they were weary after a long journey and they were encouraging Jesus to eat something. Jesus answered their prodding by telling them, "I have a kind of food you know nothing about." They must have looked around wondering who had already brought Him food. Jesus could see their confusion and decided to explain what He meant. He told them doing the will of God gave Him all He needed. He still needed food but doing God's work lifted Him and filled Him in ways that food never could. There was a saying for farmers, "four months between planting and harvest," meaning there is a waiting time between planting and harvesting. Jesus told them to look around and they would see it was already time to harvest the work of God. They were in a place and time they could harvest the work that had already been done. The harvest Jesus was referring to was the harvest of people brought to eternal life. There would be great joy in this work for both the planter and the harvester.
The woman managed to get quite a crowd to come and hear Jesus. Scripture tells us many believed in Jesus because she told them He knew all about her. When they came and saw Him, they "begged" Him to stay in the village. (I was moved by the fact that they begged Him. How hard is it for us in our culture to set aside time to be with Him in prayer or Bible study. Can you picture the people of today begging Him to stay around so they can be with Him longer? Why do so few now have a deep desire to spend more time with Him? How many look at their watches and get frustrated that church went ten minutes longer than usual?) Jesus heard their request and stayed with them for two days. After staying with Jesus for two days, many more Samaritans believed in Him as the Messiah. They believed because they heard His message directly from Him. They said, "Now we know that He is indeed the Savior of the world." After that, Jesus went on to Galilee.
Jesus had once said that a prophet was not honored in his own hometown. Even though He may not have been honored, (or believed in) He was welcomed. The point was made that many people had been in Jerusalem at Passover and had seen the many things He had done there. We can question why they welcomed Him. Was it because they believed He was the Messiah or was it for what He did for others and what He could do for them?
While there, a government official came and begged Him to go with him to his home and heal his dying son. Jesus asked if He would always have to perform miracles for them to believe in Him. The official begged for his son to live all the more. Jesus said, "Go back home. Your Son will live." The man left and went home. Along the way he was met by some of his servants who told him the son's fever had gone. The official asked when it happened and was told when, which happened to be the exact time Jesus told him his son would live. The result of the healing was the official and his entire household believed in Jesus.
Jesus spoke, more than once, of His desire that people believe without seeing miracles. Over and over as we study, we have seen people, more or less asking for proof. They asked Him to heal, show them a miracle and if you are who you say you are do something to convince us. Perhaps He wants us to study and learn about Him and believe His words and the accounts of others who walked with Him. It seems clear He wants us to believe in Him without asking Him to prove it. Have you ever heard of a time when a person told another person they loved them yet the other person told them to prove it? Can you feel Jesus saying He is the Messiah and He loves you to which we tell Him to prove it? Both make me say, "ouch." Even though He wants to be believed without having to prove it, He did prove it. He lived, died, and rose again that we may have life ertrnal. He, God, gave the world what they wanted and needed - proof.