GOSPELS 8 LIVING WATER

GOSPELS 8 LIVING WATER 

We have been going through the four Gospels attempting to put together a consistent account of the early ministry of Jesus. But some of the early chapters of John tell us things that the other Gospels do not mention, such as the wedding feast at Cana in Chapter two and today in Chapter four we will look at the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well.  

John 4: 1 Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They remarked openly that Jesus was ahead, which in the eyes of the people turned Jesus and John into rivals. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee and he needed to go through Samaria. 

Jesus purposefully travelled through Samaria on his way back to northern Galilee from the Judean countryside which was unusual for a Jew because they did not want to mix with the Samaritans who were ancient religious adversaries – So Jews always took the longer route to the west by the Jordan river instead of going over the steep slope of Mount Gerizim in Samaria. But Jesus was being led by the Holy Spirit and was on a mission from the Father to reveal who he was to the Samaritan people, (and that was prophetic of his mission to all the world). 
The Samaritans believed that they were the true religion of ancient Israel, because when Israel first came into the promised Land from the wilderness Joshua set up the tabernacle of Moses on Mount Gerizim in Samaria. and some of the tribes of Israel chose to settle there and chose the first five books of the Bible, the Torah as their only Scriptures. They did not follow Joshua and the rest of Israel into the other regions of the Promised Land and they did not experience the era of the Kings and prophets and Psalms and the other Scriptures. They believed that Israel had tampered with their Scriptures and this had caused the lasting enmity between the Samaritans and Israel who had decided to not talk together or to eat and drink together.

So now we find Jesus sitting by Jacob’s well in the Samaritan village of Sychar, about noontime, tired from his long walk, and his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food for lunch. A Samaritan woman then arrived at the well about noon as well which was unusual because Samaritan women did not go and get water in the heat of the day but waited till the late afternoon. But this woman always avoided any awkward encounters with the other women of the village because of the shame and disgrace that she felt about her personal life, so she had bypassed the other wells closer to the village just to be sure. But Jesus is sitting there at the well. She sums up the situation and thinks ‘this man will not give me any trouble – He is a Jew and I am a Samaritan, so he won’t have anything to do with me’. And Jesus asked her if she would please give him a drink (Vs.8). But she said to Jesus, Vs.9“You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” This request of Jesus posed a problem - A Jewish man and a Samaritan woman of ill repute alone, and he asks her for water. Jews and Samaritans don’t associate with each other – especially regarding drinking vessels.

But Jesus was there as the bringer and giver of divine life, and it didn’t matter what ethnic or religious or social barrier was in the way. He gets straight to the point.  Vs.10“If you only knew the gift that God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” The word for living water he uses (zao hydor) comes from the word Zoe, Spiritual life not bios, Earthly life.

The woman didn’t get the point – she was looking at the natural resources like ropes and buckets, that she thought were needed here and Jesus didn’t seem to have them, and she thought his words were empty, so she said. “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket, and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? (Vs.11) She was yet to learn that Jesus doesn’t need the natural resources that we think are necessary to have the needs of our soul met. He does things supernaturally. She made the two typical errors when it comes to receiving from Jesus. She thought he was not able to help her with the needs of her soul, and she thought he wouldn’t have been eager to do so. 

She continues to doubt and discount anything of value that Jesus might have had for her. She thinks that Jacob’s well (her traditional religion) that Jesus was sitting on was far more effective for her inner life than whatever Jesus had to offer. She says do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” VS.12. But Jesus replied ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.’ (Vs.13-14)

Jesus knew that what this woman had been doing all her life in trying to find satisfaction for her soul in wrong relationships which had always ended up leaving her empty and even more dissatisfied. 
Jesus knew that this woman’s soul had told her that those relationships were the thing she needed to make her happy, but Jesus knew her needs were greater and deeper than that. He wanted to give her spiritual contentment and fulfillment instead of forsakenness - He wanted to heal her soul. She had been feeling lost within herself, inadequate, and most likely mistreated by men and unfairly dealt with, lacking love, lonely, and confused and insecure. Jesus wanted to change all of that and help her to trust in him for God’s compassion and the healing power of love and mercy and forgiveness to work in her life. She takes one step closer towards trusting him. 
 
5“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”  She is still not quite sure how this is all going to work out. David in the Psalms had also cried out to God because of the emotional thirst of his soul, remembering his own shameful past behavior, and longing for living water from God as this woman had, ‘As the deer thirsts for the water so my soul thirsts after you O God. (Psalm 42:1).
                                                                                                              
Jesus knows that this woman needs to see God at work in her life and The Holy Spirit tells him what to say next. 16“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.18. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” 
Jesus tells her about the true state of her life, not to judge her but to show her that she is significant to God as a person, and that he cares about the details of her life. She realizes that God must be in this somehow.

19“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.” But finding that she had gotten out of her safety comfort zone she switches the conversation to religion, and she tries to instruct Jesus about what true worship is. She says Our fathers worshiped on this mountain (Gerazim), but you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” (So there!)

Jesus then gives her a beautiful revelation of what true worship really is. 
Woman, believe me - it’s not where we worship that counts, but how we worship—is our worship spiritual and real? Do we have the Holy Spirit’s help? For God is Spirit, and The Father wants this kind of worship from us. But you Samaritans know so little about worshiping him, while we Jews know about him, for salvation comes to the world through the Jews.”.
She was not yet aware that he was the Jew through whom salvation and true worship of the Spirit would come - through his death and resurrection, but she had been listening and she then says. “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 
Jesus then says. “I am Christ, The Messiah”. Once he tells her that she believes and she feels safe. Everything changed for her when she gave to Jesus the command of her life. She even forgot to get any water from the well, leaving her water jar behind and running back into the town to tell everyone what had happened. She had tasted forgiveness and true peace – her shame was covered by mercy, and she felt loved and not forsaken.

Many people are on their own journey of whatever self-help strategies help them to maybe avoid some deeper issues that God wants to help them with. But Jesus will intervene in what looks like some ordinary event. He wants to get our attention and show us that we really need him and to share our life with his. His life is of another dimension to what our natural humanity tries to draw from. He knows we have doubts, and he is patient with us. 
Jesus knew that at first that woman really doubted whether Jesus would be of any to help to her at all - He didn’t even have a rope or a bucket for goodness sake! 
We may not be sure either but God can reveal to us what is really going on in our lives also and convince us that he can bring change. We might argue with him or get religious like she did, but he listens with interest, giving us a place in his heart and mind, and giving us revelation about our own soul and a revelation about himself and about a caring protective Father God and about loving powerful Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit tells us to leave our empty bucket behind as she did. He says to us as he said to her ‘If you only knew the gift that God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.’
God is at work and we are at rest – our sin and shame don’t count anymore - Jesus has ransomed our soul. Amen.