In John 4 we see Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman. To give some context we come into this passage with Jesus and His disciples traveling from Judea back to Galilee. Instead of trying to go around Jesus travels straight through Samaria, after sometime they stop at a well and Jesus sends the disciples into town for food.
It's not long before a Samaritan woman appears to draw water from the well. This is where we will pick up the story in John 4:7-42,
"Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. 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?"
In that culture the Jews and Samaritans refused to have anything to do with each other, to the point they would often go out of there way just to avoid the possibility of running into each other. Pay special attention to the next few verses.
"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.' '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? 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?"
If only you knew. Friends, if only you knew the gift God has for each of you. If only you knew of the unending, never changing love and mercy of God. Earthly things come and go like the changing of the winds, but the things of God are ever-present. I love how the verse continues.
"Jesus replied, 'Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give them will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."
Jesus is the living water, He gives life and life abundantly. I love the Samaritan woman's response, its a desperate plea.
"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."
The passage continues with Jesus telling her to go get her husband, she reply's she doesn't have a husband to which Jesus says, "You're right, you don't have a husband. You have had five and the man you are living with now you are not married to. The woman is amazed that Jesus knows this about her, she asks him why he is in Samaria and speaking to her of all people. Jesus speaks of a time to come, I love verse 24.
"For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."
The Samaritan woman responds with an answer I think some of us have thought as well. She says, "the Messiah is coming soon and he will explain all of this to us then." Jesus then responds,
" Then Jesus told her, I Am the Messiah!"
Just as He speaks the words the disciples return and are shocked seeing him speak to this Samaritan. Hearing His words the woman ran back to the village leaving her water jar behind telling everyone,
"Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah? So the people came streaming from the village to see him."
When His disciples question Him about this He responds, "The fields are already ripe." Some translations say the fields are white for the harvest, in short the fields are ready, it is harvest time. The time is now. As the Samaritans listened to Jesus they believed in Him and they believed what the woman had said.
It all started with one woman crying out come and see. Come and see this man who knows everything about me! Come and see the Messiah, the one we have been waiting for. Come and see! Word of this encounter began to spread and the message was clear, come and see the one we have been waiting for. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
Much love friends,
Alianna
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