Samaritan Woman at the Well – Part I

John 4:4-10
And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Jesus Christ had to go through Samaria because Samaria was on the way to Galilee from Judaea. Jesus had to go through Samaria for a purpose that is divine and also because probably that was the only route to Galilee from Judaea. His disciples were also with Him. Samaria was also called Sychar and Jesus went close to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to His son Joseph. The Samaritans worshipped at the mount Gerizim and the Jews did not consider the Samaritan worship to be a true worship. Jews despised Samaritans and Samaritans looked at Jews as though they were hypocrites of some kind or so it appears. No matter what, Jews avoided the Samaritan fellowship and even did not approach the premises of Samaria. But Jesus, though a Jew had to pass through Samaria. Although Jesus came into the world for the sake of the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24), He came to save the entire humanity. God loves the whole world that He sent Jesus into the world. So, He loves the human race in totality and there is no discrimination between a Jew and a Samaritan; in His eyes we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Jesus sat at Jacob’s well as He was weary with His journey. It was about sixth hour and that means it was between 11AM and noon. Jesus was a man like you and me and He being tired from journey indicates that He just went through the feelings of humans. But, He was and is a complete God in that He was and is holy and without any blemish yet became a sin for the whole world. He sat on the well, the surface of which is usually hard as the wells are made of stone or brick and cement. He was a man who chose to go to the most common places where the humble and the meek can be found and did not dwell in the luxuries of the world. He picked up fishermen for His disciples and manifested His power in the weak, the suffering, the dead and the widows. He was now at the well where hard working people with less means of income come to draw water either to their masters or to themselves.

There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water. She was coming to draw water at a time when no woman comes. Usually most of the women come to draw water during the first part of the morning because that is when they need water to complete the household chores and preserve some water for the rest of the day. This woman came at a time when no woman came because she was unlike the other women and she was a woman guilty of sins. Many of us when we are especially guilty of some action choose to avoid the people of our kind so we go unnoticed. This is because we don’t want to be accountable for our sinful behavior. It is hard for us to admit our mistakes and seek forgiveness. But, we don’t have to be so with Jesus. He is ready to embrace us when we turn to Him with a repentant heart because the whole purpose of His coming was to save the lost souls. This woman is now coming to the well to draw water and that is where Jesus was trying to get some rest to His weary body; that is where this woman can get rest to her weary soul. He wants to give us rest so that we may be free. John 8:36 says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” When He shall make us free we have no reason to fear or hide away from our guilt. He lifts off the guilt and puts the words of life into us while declaring freedom for us.

Jesus asked her to give Him some water to drink. His disciples were gone to bring some meat so they all can eat. Here it is clear that Jesus was hungry and thirsty like us. He was not a man of superior state or quality and He was a humble and lowly man although He was and is a King of Kings. He sought the water from a gentile woman not without a purpose but to speak the words of life into her. Wherever Jesus went He ministered to the people and He did not waste a single moment. May we also take every opportunity given to us for doing God’s will on earth! He is the Light of the World and called us to be a light to those around us. The purpose of light is to replace darkness with light and release every force of darkness. These are the dark days when we who are of the Light cannot slumber but we are to seek and bring the lost to the Light of the World. I Peter 5:8-9 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” We cannot resist the devil if we are not steadfast in our faith. When our faith is up and active, then we can put down the enemy and deactivate him and his plans. We have to keep our watch for the Son of Man and He will come like a thief and we know not the hour of His arrival. Matthew 24:42 says, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. The woman figured out that Jesus was a Jew either by His attire or by His looks. She questions Him why He is asking for water from her who is a Samaritan woman. The Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. He came first for the lost sheep of the house of Israel but blessed many gentiles while He sojourned here on earth. But by His death and resurrection, the punishment for the entire mankind is borne by Him and we are freed. Here the Samaritan woman was about to receive a blessing for her life and thus bring many other Samaritans to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. She did not know who it was that she was talking to. But in a matter of time during their course of discussion, God will enlighten her soul about who the man before her was. If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. Romans 5:15 says, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” Through the sin of one man, the sin entered the entire mankind and thus all of us have sinned but the grace of God and gift of God by grace is much abounding in that by one man, Jesus Christ, the entire mankind is saved. The gift of God unto all of us is eternal life through Jesus Christ. In other words, by one man Adam, we all have sinned but the gift of God to us is His son Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. The Samaritan woman did not know the gift of God and so Jesus is saying that she would have asked for living water if she had known who it is that is asking for a drink from her.

We all need the living water for our thirsting souls. We long for so many things and we are driven by fleshly desires and nothing can by any means bring total satisfaction to us. The minute we procure one thing, the desire for the next is on and so on and so forth. There is no end to our wanting souls. But there is one and only one end to all who thirst and that is Jesus Christ who was and is an answer to the thirsting souls. He can quench us from our thirst so that our desires are fulfilled for a lifetime. Where do we get the living waters? The living water is in the Word of God and through the Spirit of God within us we can draw this eternal supply of water. The Spirit of God will help us understand the Word of God. If we seek God and ask Him to reveal His Word unto us, the Spirit of God will come to our rescue immediately and bring to life the Word of God. Are you thirsting? If so the gift of God to you is in His Word, the Holy Bible!!!

Tomorrow: Samaritan Woman at the Well – Part II