scriptureJohn 4:3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. 4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?"10 Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."
11 "But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, 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?" 13 Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."
15 "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." 16 "Go and get your husband," Jesus told her. 17 "I don't have a husband," the woman replied. Jesus said, "You're right! You don't have a husband—18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!"
19 "Sir," the woman said, "you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?"
21 Jesus replied, "Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it's here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."
25 The woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." 26 Then Jesus told her, "I AM the Messiah!"
observation
Jesus is always working, taking care of his father's business, in the third chapter of John we see that Jesus took control of the conversation with Nicodemus and he quickly got to the point, today Jesus uses a different approach.
A Samaritan woman with five husbands?!?
Nicodemus was a "holy man" and a Jew, that is the kind of people that Jesus should be talking to, but this time he is engaging in conversation with a woman of shameful descent, a Samaritan. Oh my, doesn't he know what that will do to his reputation? Everybody has had people come up to them and as soon as we see them coming we groan inside thinking what do they want, usually we are sure it is money, or maybe we just don't want to talk to them because they are different or we don't like their personality. But when you look through the gospels you will see that Jesus was always eager to talk to anybody, he never looked at someone coming his way and complain about the inconvenience or the way they behave or how they look, he didn't dwell on any of that but instead he looked past the persons exterior and saw their spiritual need and he knew that their spiritual need was his reason for being here on our planet.
Give me a drink, no you give me a drink.
Jesus was weary from his trip and asks for a drink but really he is setting up his offer to give the woman a taste of the living water, the water that would quench her thirst for meaning and purpose in life, the water that Jesus was willing to share with her would quench the thirst of her soul and would give her eternal life.
"I AM the Messiah!"
Her past and her present were not as important as her future, Jesus didn't condemn her, what he wanted was for her to recognize the Messiah and to become a "true worshiper"
application
I must be open to every encounter with people, even if they don't look right or act right or come from the right place. I have to remember that every person that does not know the Messiah does not have any greater need than the need to know him, if I see them from that perspective then I will be able to look past any prejudice that I could have against them.
prayer
Give us your eyes Lord to see people the way that you see them. Help us to see their greatest need and be willing to be "inconvenienced."
