Monday, March 10, 2014

Book 2 - Day 7 The Woman at the Well


 
The hot sun scorched the ground she walked. With the water jug held in the crook of her arm, the woman strides forward wishing for a cool breeze.  She will endure the heat at midday, for it was far better to undergo the heat than the vicious talk of the others.  Avoiding the malicious mouths during the cool of the evening, the Samaritan woman walks along to fetch her water, neither realizing nor imagining her life to change this very day.
“..and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.  When a Samaritan woman can to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’
The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’
Jesus answered, ‘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.’
‘Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater that our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?’
Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’
The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and gave to keep coming here to draw water.’
He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’
‘I have no husband,’ she replied.
Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband.  The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said quite true.’
‘Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.’
Jesus declared, ‘Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth.’
The woman said, ‘I know the Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’
Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am he.’” (John 4:6-26)
            This is one of my favorite bible passages of Christ and a woman.  Although tired from ministering, healing and preaching Christ sees a woman approach that is in desperate need of a Savior.  He can see her heart.  Jesus can see her pain of rejection, neglect and outcast.  After five husbands and now living with a sixth man, she is unapproachable by the more “respectable” women in her town.  This Samaritan woman’s heart seeks love, understanding, change and life.  Unexpectantly, yet purposefully, our God places his Son at this very spot to save an “in-valid”, an outcast, a broken hearted woman healed. 
            When we live in the “world” and seek after its love, its definition of security, fulfillment or desires, we remain empty and thirsty.  We thirst for someone to understand us.  We thirst for someone to love us.  We thirst for someone to encourage, support and unconditionally stand beside us.  Woman, I promise you, the world will never meet those expectations; only Jesus can fill those voids, heal those wounds and filter those desires and motives. 
            When Christ told this woman he would give us living water which would bring forth a spring of water welling up to eternal life, there is great joy.  This mystery called by the Apostle Paul is divine power.  This water is refreshing for when Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost, filled with this divine power he exclaimed, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that you sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you.” (Acts 3:19)
            This Samaritan woman sought that living water, that love.  After five husbands, the marriage vows must have seemed insignificant, her reputation tarnished; she walked alone and carried a broken heart.  As Jesus sat at this well tired and drained, his own heart knew the purpose for which he was sent.  He could see what she needed, he could see into the heart of the matter and directly called her out.  In world where people try to please, tiptoe around an issue and misguide others to think everything is fine, our Jesus is direct and does not care about our delicate, misguided, easily offended sensibilities.  If you want healing, if you want living water, if you want times of refreshment, get to the root and the heart of your problem. 
“Go, call your husband and come back.” Jesus told her.  Unafraid to call her out on her “extra curricular activities”, Christ spoke to the root of her problems, her heart, her wounds and her spirit depraved beliefs.  Only he could give her living water, healing and refreshment for her soul.
The bible says, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.  ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.’
They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’” (John 4:39-42).
 “On her testimony, many believed.”(John 4:39).  “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7) What is your testimony?  Once coming in contact with Jesus, once knowing her depravity and what she truly needed, once accepting him into her heart, the Samaritan woman could not help but proclaim the Good News.  Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. 
 Are you full of living water? Have you brought the Good News about Jesus to your family, friends or neighbors? Our Lord loves you and always has time for you.  Pray to him, talk to him as the Samaritan woman; it is a beautiful act of worship to sit, open your heart to the Messiah and give you the living water for refreshment.  Your time with the Lord is never by chance, accident or random, but purposeful, encouraging and direct. 

Let us pray and CONFESS the Word of the Living God;

Abba Father,
            How beautiful are the feet that bring Good News! (Isaiah 52:7)  How beautiful is our Savior who never tires, never grows weary, and always delights in spending time with his children.  I know he seeks the one lost sheep for he is the Good Shepherd (John 10).  Father, if I have strayed from your will, if I have not gone deep enough or have not fully drank of the living water, fill me this day with your Holy Spirit, for I desire times of refreshment (Acts 3:19). 
            I pray to have those feet that bring the Gospel to those around me.  I desire to know Truth within myself and accept Christ in all areas of my life.  I know Jesus can heal my wounds of neglect, fear, un-love, un-acceptance, rejection and un-forgiveness.  I desire to be a living, breathing epistle for I know many can believe in your saving power from my testimony (John 4:39).
            Heal the inner recesses of my heart.  Wash me clean and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7).  I crave meat, not milk as I memorize and read the Word of God.  Forgive me Lord, for I have sinned.  Thank you for your direct honesty, thank you for the Cross and the precious blood of Christ.  Thank you I can talk and communicate with you anytime I desire; for my spirit knows you will always make time for me.  In the name of Jesus of Nazareth I pray, Amen.




No comments:

Post a Comment