Now, Jesus had to pass through Samaria. So He came to a town of Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as He was from His journey was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink…” The Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the fight of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water…'”
John 4:4-10
Ever played dodge ball?
The story of Jesus meeting with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in Sychar, Samaria is a classic case of verbal dodge ball (please read all of John 4, at least to verse 28).
This dear gal (let’s call her “Samantha/Sam”) came to the well during the heat of the day, at a time when she knew without a shadow of a doubt she’d not have to communicate with anyone!
High noon…the hottest time of the day.
Imagine Samantha’s annoyance to see someone waiting…and a man, no less…then to top it off…a Jew, who HATED Samaritans.
Jesus began this interesting conversation.
From His initial request, Samantha tried dodging every attempt of Jesus to bring her to a place where she’d admit her need, open her heart, and receive the gift of God that was standing right in front of her.
Poor woman put up every defensive wall she could muster, and Jesus patiently chipped away at each brick.
It was understandable, though…
Samantha’s history was soiled…
She’d been tossed about (just like that dodge ball) from husband to husband until every ounce of confidence, she may have once had, ebbed slowly away.
She’d finally given up, and simply moved in with a man, hoping against some great odds, that he might be the answer to her need for satisfaction.
At the same time, Samantha was sick-to-death of the sideways stares, the mocking glances, and the cruel whispers of the other women in Sychar.
Her discontent began leading her on a downward spiral to discouragement, to depression, to desolation, and ultimately, it would lead her to desperation, if not death, UNLESS…. something, or better yet, SOMEONE, intervened.
It’s a common path many find themselves traveling…
…and Sam was rapidly approaching that place, when Jesus HAD TO GO THROUGH SAMARIA.
I love this about Jesus.
No matter how despicable others might think we are, He’s willing to go out of His way to find us when we’re needy.
Face it; most people go out of their way to avoid neediness.
Not Jesus.
He created a DIVINE APPOINTMENT with a thirsty woman at a well in a place no righteous Jew of His day would dare set His sandaled shoe.
No matter how troubled we are, Jesus holds the answer to our neediness, our brokenness, and our deepest pain.
No matter how much shame we carry on our shoulders, He wants to remove it.
So, Jesus went to Samaria.
He didn’t have to…
He wanted to…
And, no matter where your Samaria might be…Jesus will go out of His way to find you at your well of desperation to offer LIVING WATER for your THIRSTY (discontented, discouraged, depressed, desolate wasteland of a soul)…
There’s so much more to this story…but stop here and ponder this amidst this Lenten season:
Where do you go to find your satisfaction?How are you attempting to fill the empty holes in your heart to make up for your discontent?
“Thirst” always symbolically represents a lack…a need…an unfulfilled desire… What’s yours?
And, where’s your well?
Jesus is probably already there waiting.
If there is one thing, Sam would want you to know about her story it’s this:
Jesus is the only thing that fills our needs…heals our brokenness…mends our hearts.
And, she’d, also, want to tell you this:
RUN! Don’t WALK (!) to the well. There, and there alone, you will find LIVING WATER…He’ll be waiting for you.
Ah…there’s more to Sam’s story. Come back next week (and maybe the following)…