The Woman at the Well

Many of you may know the story of the Samaritan woman that met Jesus at the well. The story is found in John 4. There are a lot of fascinating and amazing revelations we can draw from this story, but I want to briefly summarize it for you. Jesus was heading to Galilee with his disciples which took them through Samaria. Now, if you remember from old ancient history the Samarians and the Jews hated each other, so much so in fact that it was nearly forbidden for a Jew to talk to a Samaritan. However, Jesus wasn’t afraid to push all the social boundaries when he was here!

So, here we find Jesus stopped at Jacob’s well for a drink of water. There he finds a Samaritan woman drawing water. He asks her for a drink of water which, considering society at the time, shocked her. She replied, commenting to Jesus that, “You are a Jew and I’m a Samaritan. How is it that are you interacting with me, asking me for a drink of water?” Jesus used this as an opportunity to bond with the woman saying, “If you knew who I was you’d ask ME for a drink and I would give you living water.”

To this the woman begins to warm to Jesus and actually finds common ground, noting that this was Jacob’s well – OUR father, Jacob’s well. Then she questions Jesus - how could he provide her water, he didn’t have anything to draw water with. Jesus tells her the water he provides would quench her thirst forever. This woman decides she wants in on this living water and so she asks for it. Jesus asks her to go get her husband and come back, to which she replies she has no husband. Jesus points out that she has had 5 husbands and the man she is currently with is not her husband. Understandably, from this encounter she has witnessed that there is something very different about Jesus then the other Jewish leaders and teachers. She then calls him “a prophet” and says, “the Messiah is coming.” Then Jesus declares to her, “I, the one speaking to you – I am He.”

This is when the disciples make their entrance (they were on a food run.)  They stand aside bewildered that Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman. You see, this was against ALL social norms. Back in those days women were severely oppressed. Women were not allowed to own property, learn the Torah, or even be a witness in a court of law. They were often discarded, not only by men in society in general but also by their very own husbands. Yet here Jesus was talking with her, teaching her, and even offering her a gift! And a Samaritan woman nonetheless! Can you imagine the connection she would have felt with Jesus in that moment?

While there are many wonderful things to take from this story I want to highlight one point in particular. In that time and in that culture, women had virtually no rights and they certainly didn’t have the right to get a divorce yet here this woman has had 5. What does that tell us? It tells us this Samaritan woman had been rejected and discarded by 5 men. Again, and again, and again. And the man she is currently with doesn’t even want to give her the dignity of marriage.

I, like most people, thought that Jesus pointed this out to her as a sin to be forgiven. However, when Jesus points out to her that she has had 5 husbands it isn’t to shame her, it’s to connect with her heart. Jesus was saying “I know you’ve been rejected all these times but I see you and you are worth my gift of living water. You are worth my love and I want to give it to you!” What an impact that would have made on this woman who may have had a lifetime of shame and had endured far too often the sting of rejection! Here in this moment with Jesus she tastes the joy of acceptance.

The story goes on to tell us that this woman’s testimony radically changed her town and brought many others to believe in the truth of Jesus. Why did her testimony change her town? I don’t believe it was primarily because Jesus was able to tell this woman all these things about herself but rather it was her testimony that demonstrated the intense yearning God has to be close to his people. This God is a God of unconditional love and no matter what your past is, He wants YOU!

I think there are a lot of ladies out there like this Samaritan woman- hurting and alone and in desperate need for someone to point them to this same Jesus who can proclaim to them, “I SEE YOU! I desire you! And I desire the very best for you! I’m willing to ignore and cross all barriers to show you just how deep and wide my love is for you. You are not bound to what the world may think of you, but you can be renewed in the way I think of you!”

If you are walking with this broken identity I hope you feel yourself in this story. I hope you believe that God will demonstrate his love for you in the same way He did for this Samaritan woman. I hope you hear through this story just how dear and precious you are to God. If you are struggling with disconnect from God take a moment right now to pray for God to reveal his love to your soul and spirit. Claim this prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 for yourself. I took the liberty to change the “you” in these passages to the word “I”

 “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen me with power through his Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. And I pray that I, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”