Men and Women of God Part 6

By: Martin Connolly | Date: 2025-12-31

She stood inside the door of her home. She looked to see if anyone was around. It was about noon and she knew that people would be at their midday meal. The way was clear. She ventured out. There was no one around to spit at her, or call her a prostitute or a Samaritan. She never knew that friendly voice of any of the women – Jewish or not. As for the men, all they did was to look at her with either disgust or lusting. If she was lucky there will be an opportunity to get the water and get back home quickly.

As she approached the well, she was surprised to see a Jewish man sitting at the well. Too late. He had seen her. He was different. No disgust. No lusting. His demeanour was pleasant. To her even more surprise, He spoke to her! His voice was gentle. He asked her for a drink!

"How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?"

His answer puzzled her,

"If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

This was a strange response to her. He was sitting there. He had nothing to draw water from the well. It was very deep.  She questioned him as to how he could get living water. Jacob had dug this well for water for himself and his sons and to give the cattle water. Was he greater than Jacob and was he going to also dig another well? Again, he spoke of a different water.

"Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Never thirst again? No need for the embarrassing walking to a well. Her response was immediate.

"Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

It became even more intriguing. He told her to fetch her husband. That was tricky. Which one? She had five!

"I have no husband.", was the best she could come up with.

The man commended her for her honesty. Indeed, the man told her of her five husbands: that she was living with a man who was not her husband. Startled by his knowledge about her, she knew he must be a man of God, a prophet. This led her to talk about how the Samaritans had this mountain as their own mountain, where they could worship God. The Jews said the only place to worship was Jerusalem. The man then corrected her understanding. There would come a time when it would not matter about worshipping in a particular place.  Salvation, he said, came from the Jews. What she needed to know was that the Father looked for those who worshipped in Spirit and in Truth.

She showed, despite everything, she did have some spiritual understanding. She was looking to a time when the Messiah would come. She knew he would put everything right and show them all things. Then the man revealed who he was,

“I am he who speaks to you.”

Just then the men who were with Jesus turned up. They were astonished that he was talking with a Samaritan, and to boot a woman! The woman was so blessed. She had not only found someone who did not condemn or despise her. Someone who was compassionate and kind. Indeed. It was the Messiah. She was bursting with the joy of at last being befriended and purely loved. Not for any other reason – just pure love. Ho w could she contain such wonderful love. Immediately she threw aside all concerns about herself and her fears of rejection. She told all who would listen of this great man. Her testimony caused them to believe it could be true. Many of them went to Jesus and they heard from him directly, just what the woman had told them. They no longer needed to believe the woman, now they had met him, they knew salvation was now their own. Straight from the mouth of Jesus. They had found their Messiah and he would now bring salvation and all things into order.

Based on John 4:1 ff.

 Lessons from this life

1. Such an account shows us that our past and present situation, no matter how sinful and messy, can be redeemed by Jesus.
2. It shows how love and compassion are greater than hate and rejection.
3. It shows that Jesus breaks down barriers.
4. It shows us all, that sharing simple truth with another can spread the Good News of salvation. 
5. It shows that one truly saved soul can be a beacon to those in darkness.