This morning I felt like I should reflect on some verses from John's Gospel, specifically the story of the woman at the well. I really love this story, for I believe it reveals the Lord's love, mercy and valuation of each of us. Here are the verses - John 4:9-19,25-26 NIV:
[9] "The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. )
[10] Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
[11] “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? [12] Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
[13] Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, [14] but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
[15] The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
[16] He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
[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.
[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.”
The particular point that caught my eye this morning was Jesus' statement in verse ten. Remember this is prior to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, so one wonders a bit about Jesus' statement about living water. I will get back to this in a bit.
The second thing that made me think was her statement that Jesus was obviously a prophet (verse 19) due his knowledge of her sinful life-style. I can see some correlation there, but my thinking about prophetic gifts is more in line with the gift of prophecy in the New Testament. Her knowledge of prophets would only be based on the Old Testament Prophets, and the vast majority were about exposing the sins of Israel and calling them back to right relationship with God. Clearly Jesus was touching on similar ground in describing her five failed marriages and present sinful life-style. However, that does not seem to be His primary focus and he doesn't tell her to repent or stop in any of the conversation we have recorded here. He seemed to use this topic to really grab her attention, but it was for another reason, that of revelation of His identity (verse 26).
Going back to my first thought, I believe the whole of this encounter was to establish relationship with the woman, to reveal His identity, and in that context to help her see who she really was, as well. I believe this relationship is the living water that Jesus was speaking about! It is through knowing Him that we receive eternal life and Jesus made this very clear later when He proclaimed, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3 NIV) Jesus was enabling her to see Him, to know Him, to relate to Him, and in that context to see herself as He saw her. In a previous reflection on these verses, (See https://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2014/09/set-free-to-become-who-we-really-are.html), I wrote, "Imagine, in one afternoon she went from being the shame of Sychar to being the conduit for its salvation!" When we come to the realization that Jesus isn't going to condemn us for our sin (for stoning was the appropriate penalty for adultery), but instead desires real relationship and sees us as valuable and that He loves us, we can step into that relationship and become who we were meant to be! We are not labeled or limited by our sin, by God, but rather are invited to step out of those chains of shame and self-hatred into the freedom that only He can bring.
So this morning I am encouraged that the Lord, although He knows me and all about my sins, is constantly inviting me into relationship! He desires for me to have this living water (relationship with Him) flowing out of my life. He can cure my thirst and hunger for acceptance, for acknowledgement, for belonging, for love, for forgiveness, for freedom and for truth! He brings all of that with Him, when He enters into relationship with us! For us who are in relationship with Him, its not whether the cup is half full or half empty, its that it is overflowing! Lord, i welcome Your living water! Let it overflow me!
Amen!
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