She came alone to the well. It was noon, the hottest part of the day. Gathering water was a lady’s duty and was a time of gathering at the well and visiting. Yet she preferred to come when no one would be there and in the heat of the day.
She was a Samaritan and a woman. That in itself ostracized her from the Jewish population and speaking with a man. There was bitter hatred between the Jews and Samaritans. She was a woman who had been married five times and was now dwelling with one who was not her husband. That, alone would give the women of the town of Sychar reason to talk and shun her. So she preferred to come alone.
A man approaches the well and asks for a drink of water. She was amazed as he was a Jew and he was asking her, a woman…For water. Her encounter there would not only change her life, but the lives of many of the residents of her town. She would rush back and tell them to come… meet the “living water.” The one who knew everything about her. Could he be the Messiah?
The well of grace. Grace that washes over our sin. Grace that loves the underdog and unbeliever, not just the converted. Grace that can not be bought or worked for and certainly not deserved… And yet there was grace standing in human form beside her at the well.
Upon her realization that she may have met the Messiah, she ran home in the hottest part of the day and proclaimed to all who would listen, to come and see the man who knew everything about her.
As believers in Christ at some point we encountered him at our own well. He knew all about us and yet forgave us and washed our tired, worn out and parched bodies in the grace of living water. We have many opportunities while going about our day to encounter people at the various wells. We meet them in the workplace, grocery store, doctor’s office, airport, bank, or post office. They may not look like us, think like us or live like us. That did not matter to Jesus when he encountered this woman. He was there to love and give her hope as well as forgive her.
Scripture for Today:
John 4:17-26
17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ)”is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Prayer for Today:
Hello Father! We praise you for your love for us in spite of our behavior. We ask that as we stand at the wells in each of our daily lives, that we minister to those who are thirsty, tired and outcast. Father, help us welcome each encounter with a smile, a word of encouragement and a prayer that grace will abound and Jesus will be honored as our Messiah. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.