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Of course the net result of trying to provide a “human”
based alternative to the ideas that God had blessed, was inevitably decay. It was not long before northern tribes were engaging
in worship that had nothing to do with the God of Israel, and everything to do
with the gods of sex. Promiscuity, then
and now, has been the downfall of many a believer. The surrounding nations had seemingly awesome
sexual practices wrapped up in their own ideas about worship. They often included orgies, and sanctioned
prostitution. Going to “confess” in one
of their temples usually meant paying the priest to have some “quality” time
with the temple prostitutes. And minus
birth control, this often resulted in babies, many, many, babies. Well, being the proprietor of a “worship”
system that sells women to men, you don’t need too many boy babies, but you do
keep the new crop of girl babies because they can grow up and become part of
the revenue stream. So, what to do with
the boy babies? Sacrifice to the gods of
course, toss them in the fires of Molech, or Baal, or pick your fertility god
that demands blood for his favor. And
so, the northern tribes participated in the sexual promiscuity of the
surrounding nations, and did nothing when the fruits of their encounters were
tossed into the fires, or turned into a new generation of sex slaves. Isn’t life outside of God’s plans just grand? Not for the kids I would guess. And when life reached this point of
depravity, God could just not take it anymore, and Israel would be invaded by a
foreign nation.
Only after Israel repented, did the invasion cease. But it would not be long before, the lure of
unlimited sex, replaced the memory of a foreign invasion, and the cycle would
begin all over again. Most every
historically wicked king, came from the northern tribes. Ahab and his queen Jezebel came from this
place. So for the Jews in the south, who
by the way, were not exactly squeaky clean themselves, when it came to sexual
promiscuity, or walking away from the practices of God; the people of the north
became known collectively as Samaritans.
Samaritans were looked down upon.
Samaritans were to be avoided at all costs. An upstanding Jew does not want to find
himself having anything to do with “those people”. Samaritans had chosen to walk away from the
light. Samaritans had chosen to blend
themselves with the surrounding nations, thus polluting the bloodlines of
Abraham. Samaritans were blatant about
it. Samaritans were “lesser” Jews, and
generally “lesser” people. It was
against this historical and social context, that Christ travels directly in to
the territory of the Samaritans.
What on earth could He have been thinking? His disciples were not priests or leaders,
but they were not ignorant of what the appearance of traveling into Samaria on
purpose would look like for their leader.
They followed Christ where He went.
Perhaps if He was traveling to Samaria, it was to give “those people”
the long awaited judgment for the wickedness of their past. Samaritans had it coming after all. Perhaps before we chase out the Romans, we
start with purifying those errant, stubborn, stiff necked wicked workers we
know to be Samaritans. So if this was to
be Jesus’ first trip to clean out the wickedness of the Samaritans, they would
gladly go along and watch “those people” get what’s coming to them.
Christ found himself by a well that Jacob dug a long time
ago (no small feat in times past). The
discovery of water in a generally arid land is a pretty big deal. How do you know where to look? How do you know that the hole your digging
would not just lead to more dirt? So
when Jacob is blessed to find water, he changes the economy of the entire
area. With water comes life. With water comes commerce and trade, and
income. With water nearby, a city or
community can begin. So it was where
Jesus had found himself. His disciples
were sent into the nearby city to purchase meat, as they were all hungry and
tired from their journey there. I’m
certain they were not too happy to have to go “deal” with the Samaritans to buy
food. But better they should do it, than
see their precious Master, tarnished by an encounter with “those people”. And off they went.
But as Jesus is sitting there, a local Samaritan woman
approaches the well to draw water. At
this time in history, women usually went to the well in groups, for social as
well as practical purposes. You are less
likely to be hassled or robbed in a group, and it’s a good chance to catch up
on all the local gossip. But this woman
came alone, likely because of “who” she was.
Even within “those people”, the town slut, was to be avoided. Perhaps she knew better than to hang out with
the other women that might see her as a threat.
Perhaps she just ran out of water that day, and needed more. No matter the reason, she went to find
water. For with water, life is possible.
In the Gospel of John chapter 4 and verse 7 Jesus says to
her … “Give me to drink.” What!? Really?!
A Jew is going to ask for water from a Samaritan woman, and inevitably
drink from the same cup she uses. This
is unheard of. “Those people” know what
to expect from the Jews. They know who
they are. And they know from personal
experience, no self-respecting Jew, has anything to do with them if it can be
avoided at all costs. But here is Jesus
with no bucket, and no cup, asking water from a Samaritan woman, of her. In verse 9 she gets over her surprise and
states the obvious … “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.” What’s the matter Jesus, did you forget the
rules? You guys don’t ask anything of
us. You should know that, we do.
Jesus responds in verse 10 … “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.” Here Jesus says something often overlooked,
he prompts her that if she knew “the gift of God”. The gift of God is salvation from WHO we
are. It is not the Samaritan in her,
Jesus wishes to change. It is the
bondage to sin He wishes to free her from.
The gift of God is freedom from evil.
That gift is on the table for this woman who stands before Him. Next He eludes to the idea, that “who” He is,
is someone she would be thrilled to encounter.
For Christ has something for her, that no other man could ever offer her;
Christ is offering her “living water”.
With water comes life. Christ is
offering her a renewal from within. He
is offering her a life free from the slavery of evil, and in its place a well
spring of “living water” that will not run dry, expire, or go away. It is a guarantee of salvation, from “who”
she is, not because of being a Samaritan, but because of being bound to sin,
and self-service.
In verse 11 she replies … “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw
with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? [verse
12] Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank
thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?” She does not understand what He is referring
to, and again is pointing out the obvious.
You have nothing to draw with, and it is a miracle to find water
anywhere out here. Could it be, you are
able to do miracles, greater than finding a well in a desert? Jesus tries again in verse 13 saying … “Whosoever
drinketh of this water shall thirst again: [verse 14] But whosoever drinketh of
the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall
give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Again he puts freedom from evil on the table
for this woman, a gift of Salvation that will see her fully and finally saved
from herself.
Again, she misses the point, but the idea that she would
never have to come to this well again and draw water sounds appealing. At least then, she does not have deal with
the other town’s women. She does not
have to be the butt of their jokes, or try to keep her private social life
hidden from view. After all, if one is
to avoid a public stoning, one must be delicate and secretive about one’s
indiscretions. So in verse 15 she
responds … “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to
draw.” Jesus responds to her again in a
way she does not expect. In verse 16 He
says … “Go, call thy husband, and come hither.”
The gift of salvation is not exclusively just for you either. Instead bring those who you love, your
family, those you care about, and let’s have everyone enjoy what I am
offering. Here is Jesus asking not only
to deal with her, and frankly to give her a gift, for no apparent reason. Now here is Jesus inviting her to bring her
family here and He will share this gift with everyone. Here is a Jew actually asking to deal with
even more Samaritans. This is truly a
unique encounter. But, technically she
has no husband at the moment, so …
In verse 17 she states the facts … “I have no husband.” No need to discuss my past, and in my
present, things are not where they should be, so she will keep this plain and
simple. Jesus replies … “Thou hast well
said, I have no husband: [verse 18] For thou hast had five husbands; and he
whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.” Busted!
Despite the fact that I have never met this man, he knows my entire
history. He knows things I have kept
hidden from everyone. He knows things
frankly there is no way He could know, without divine intervention. Therefore He must be a prophet. It has been a long while since there was a
prophet in Israel. It has been a long
while since there was someone who spoke for God, and relayed the messages of
truth God needed to tell the people.
Since she has obviously found one, let’s get right down to the most
divisive question of the day, the one that has separated Jews from Samaritans
from the beginning.
In verse 20 she asks … “Our fathers worshipped in this
mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to
worship.” Upon this question, hangs the
entire basis of separation from the Jews from her perspective. The sexual promiscuity is something both have
been guilty of in the past, but the fundamental religious differences are
enough to keep one group of believers referring to another group of believers
as “those people” for eternity. How
poignant that in the Christian world of today, we are no better than our Jewish
spiritual forefathers. Because one group
of believers who accept the salvation of Jesus Christ does not precisely agree
with every other doctrine we hold sacred, each group of believers sees the
other as “those people”. Each Christian
denomination looks upon its contemporaries as spiritual Samaritans. Our doctrines have divided us, no less than
this single question divided Jew from Samaritan. She simply wants to know from God through the
mouth of this “prophet”, who is really right.
In verse 21 Jesus answers her … “Jesus saith unto her,
Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor
yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.”
Heresy! Had the Jewish leaders
been standing nearby they would have likely stoned Jesus on the spot. How on earth could Jesus deny that Jerusalem
was “the” place to worship God? The woman
had to have been completely surprised by this answer, as Jesus did not state
the historical Jewish position, nor did He concur with her forefathers. In effect, Jesus was saying, both groups had
it wrong, and that soon something completely different was going to take place. Were Jesus here today, I wonder if His
answers to our doctrinal differences would be any different – you both have it
wrong. Christ was trying to tell this
woman that the divisions between the Samaritans and Jews over the location of
worship were meaningless. The “where” is
less important than either of them think.
The “who” matters more.
In verse 22 Jesus goes on to debunk the claims of her
forefathers … “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for
salvation is of the Jews. [verse 23] But the hour cometh, and now is, when the
true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: …” Jesus is saying the claims of her forefathers
had no basis in reality. The Jews knew
what they worshipped for their system of worship pointed forward to
salvation. But that is not the
point. The real meat and potatoes is in
verse 23, the hour is coming, and frankly is here, when “true” worshippers
shall worship in spirit and in truth.
What the Jews had missed was true worship. Doing it in the right place, was not as
important as doing it in right way. Not
just through the forms and rituals, but in the hearts and minds. This was the key to true worship that Jesus
was trying to share with both Jew and Samaritan.
Jesus continues … “for the Father seeketh such to worship
him. [verse 24] God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth.” It is the inside
that counts. It is the heart and the
mind, the will and the emotion, the desire, this is where real worship comes
from. It comes from a renewed life, from
a life that has been set free from the pain and bondage of evil. This is what the Father is longing to give to
the world, and what results in true worship.
How can we worship a God, who we have allowed to do NOTHING for us? Our gratitude for temporal blessings is pale
and empty. It is not temporal blessings
alone that God is longing to bestow on us, He is longing to show us what real
freedom is like. He is longing to
re-create the core of who we are, changing and restoring our desires to be what
they should be, instead of what we have made of them. He longs to break our chains to self and the
pain that comes from serving self, and show us the freedom of what it really
means to truly love someone else. It is
this freedom that makes us grateful. Our
wealth, our health, our families are nothing next the freedom God offers to us
from within. Only then can we truly
appreciate how much we love our families, how great it is to be healthy, what a
wonderful opportunity our wealth allows us to share with those in need. Before we are made free, we turn all these
blessings inward, and treat God like a Santa-Clause, instead of a
liberator. Jesus cuts through the
non-sense of a form of religion and zeroes in on the heart.
At this point the Holy Spirit has now grasped hold of the
heart and mind of the woman at the well.
It does not matter to God that the Samaritan doctrine is not pure by
Jewish standards. It does not matter to
God, that this particular Samaritan is no saint, and has a checkered past,
where her secret life of chains to sex has always kept her in bondage. God was not looking for perfection first, He
was looking only for someone who would allow Him to fix the broken wreck of
their lives, and offer them the perfection He so longs to give. This woman now, has embraced this longing,
and has decided to open herself to her Lord.
And so, the Holy Spirit is already hard at work within her, revealing to
her, this is no ordinary prophet. He is
something more. Should she dare bring it
up? Should she dare reveal what she is
thinking? Could this be the one who all
of Israel and the world has so longed to see?
In verse 25 she hopes against hope and says … “I know that
Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all
things.” No one has ever taught the
doctrines of the heart that Jesus has just revealed to her. In a few sentences He has destroyed the
division between Jew and Samaritan. He
is willing to ask water of her, knowing full well who she is. He still wants to offer her a living water
she can barely grasp the concept of. And
now the Holy Spirit is prompting her as to who He really is. Jesus Himself responds … “I that speak unto
thee am he.” Praise God. It is God who she has been talking to. She knows more about the Messiah than most of
her Jewish contemporaries. She knows He
is not just man, but God in human form.
She has been conversing not with a mere prophet, but with the Son of
God, who has personally promised to save her from herself. A one-on-one audience with the Son of God,
who despite her sin, has promised to save her.
He did not care that her doctrine was less than perfect. He did not care that her past was less than
stellar. He only thinks to love her, and
redeem her, and offer her a freedom from within that will never run dry, or
expire. Here life is transformed. Here is living water enacted from within.
Water at the well is no longer important to either of
them. The woman appears to have
forgotten Christ’s original request, drops her pot, and runs to the city to
share what has just been revealed to her.
A transformed life CANNOT be silent.
A transformed life MUST share immediately the awesome news of what has
just happened. She needed no commission
from the church to begin a formal class on how to witness to others. She needed no ordination to become a formal
minister destined to reach the lives of others.
Instead she drops what she is doing, and does the only thing that now
fully consumes WHO she is. She runs to
the town, to tell everyone who will listen, the news that the Messiah is
here. Not just here on earth, but here
in their town, at their well, waiting to offer every one of them, the same gift
of transformation that now compels her to seek an audience with as many as will
listen to her. She is no longer hiding
from the shame of who she was, salvation is bigger than that. Salvation is more important than pride, or
shame. It is life altering. And this is something the transformed life MUST
share with others. It is too important
to sit still, let others do it, or wait for approval on. It must be shared in real time with real
people, right now, and right here. This
is what it truly means to witness. It is
to testify of a personal experience. If
it has not happened to you yet, you have nothing to say yet. When it does, you will not be able to keep
your mouth shut.
The passion of her testimony reveals the work of the Holy
Spirit to those who she talks to, and it yields results. For her this is no numbers game about how
many converts she can add to the rosters of a church. It is a reaction to a life altering
experience which she is literally driven to share. Those who hear her words, and see her
passion, are not complacent, but are curious.
How could this person be so bold?
How could this person be so changed, unashamed, and on spiritual
fire? Her words could not be ignored,
because they were more than theory and speculation, they were more than
intellectual debate and thesis. They
were based on a passion that comes from having a life altering transformation
with the only Son of God. And in verse
30 are perhaps the most precious of results … “Then they went out of the city,
and came unto him.” They acted. They listened and they acted.
Many Samaritans believed simply because of the words of this
woman. Her testimony was so powerful it
was compelling, authentic, and true.
After speaking directly with Jesus they reach the same conclusion, and
have him stay with them for two more days.
Two more days of interrupted time with the God of the Universe, and the
Savior of mankind; and in verse 41 it says … “And many more believed because of
his own word; [verse 42] And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because
of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed
the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”
Samaritans knew something the Jews had completely missed. Samaritans knew a truth the very disciples of
Jesus had completely missed. Christ was
not only the Savior of the Jews, He was the Savior of the world. He was there to save them too. Two days with Christ turned an entire field
ripe for harvest, a harvest of souls for the kingdom. When He left that city, they did not all
start heading off to Jerusalem to observe temple rituals. This was a doctrinal truth from the Jewish
perspective. Instead they did something
even more important; they worshipped in Spirit and in Truth. Messiah had come to Samaria, and did not walk
away empty-handed.
It was more important to Christ to redeem a single lost
Samaritan woman, than it was to worry about her doctrinal purity, or personal
weaknesses. A belief in His ability to
save her from herself, would reveal truth to her that neither Jew nor Samaritan
had ever understood before that encounter.
An understanding of scriptures could not save her, but an acceptance of
Jesus would lead her to a deeper understanding that she could have previously
never imagined. It is Jesus who saves
us, not our doctrines, our education, or our ideas about truth interpreted from
the scriptures. It is Jesus alone. This was the beauty of the gospel brought to
“those people”. As it turned out “those
people” were actually His people. He
would save them like He saves us, despite what we think we know. It is our arrogance to think we know the
whole of truth, and that only our interpretation could be correct or
complete. It is Christ that reveals what
is truly important. It is Christ that
alone is truth.
But this encounter, not only had a profound effect on the
Samaritan community. It also affected
the disciples. In verse 27 John records
… “upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman:” Here they had gone into town so that Christ
would not have to sully Himself with dealing with Samaritan men, but they
return to find Him speaking with a Samaritan woman no less. They were too timid to give voice to their
prejudice, but they were thinking it.
Deciding to just eat, they offer Him meat, but Jesus is no longer
hungry. Instead He will try to teach His
disciples that the redemptive work of God means more to Him than even His basic
human needs. To do the will of God, is
more invigorating, more rewarding, and more fulfilling than anything else on
earth, even basic human functions. In
verses 33 through 38, Jesus elevates the conversation by reminding his
disciples they are to work the harvest of souls. From the eye of God, the fields were ripe and
ready for harvest. Christ would sow the
seeds, and they would work the fields later.
What Jesus was saying to those who would follow Him, was … there is no
such thing as “those people.”
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