Today’s Reading: John 4:13-26; Psalm 146

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

“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.” — John 4:13-15

Can you hear the desperation in her voice? Can you sense her longing for a different life — to find the satisfaction she had been seeking for so long? Can you hear the years of pain and rejection reflected in her desire to never have to come to the well again?

It was noon. Women usually came to the well early in the morning or late in the day to avoid the heat of the sun, but this woman had walked to the well at noon to avoid the stares and whispers of the other women. She was desperate for relief from the self-righteousness of others. She longed to come and go unnoticed. Yet on this day, the Savior of the World made it clear to her that she was indeed seen!

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.
Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” — John 4:16-18

And there she was. The sins of her past revealed by a stranger. But it was not condemnation that she saw in Jesus’ eyes, but love. It was not accusations she heard in Jesus’ voice, but compassion. Everything in her life was about to change because she had met the Giver of Life Himself. She had met the Messiah.

The Samaritan woman was simply living out her routine of daily coming to the well and Jesus met her there. Her life was never the same. God had a plan for her life; she was on a JOURNEY OF GRACE – a journey that would take her a long way from the sinful life she had known for so long; a new life in which she would never thirst again.

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” — John 4:19-26

If you are thinking you are not worthy, remember that Jesus chose to reveal his identity to a woman who was rejected by her community. The man who was without sin strategically positioned himself in the life of a sinful woman in order to offer her living water. In their conversation at the well, Jesus called the woman to worship God in spirit and in truth — with her heart and her head. That day he gave her the experience of both feeling loved and knowing she is loved.

So before you argue with God that your past is too messy to be used by Him, remember that He used the Samaritan woman to bring her entire village to a point of faith. God would love to use you as well. He would love to redeem your story for the sake of others experiencing the living water he has to offer.

And before you discount the value of the woman that you know has gone from one relationship to another, remember that Jesus extends to her the same grace that he has shown you. And it’s possible that God is calling you to offer a very thirsty woman the living water that she was created for.

He made heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.
He gives justice to the oppressed
and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.
The Lord loves the godly.
The Lord protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
The Lord will reign forever.
He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.
Praise the Lord! – Psalm 146:6-10