HERE is something intensely interesting in the story of the conversion, and eternal salvation of an immortal soul, as there is also in the blessed way in which God deals with a soul, and leads it on until it knows Jesus―Jehovah Saviour―and can say, “He is mine, and I am his.”
The story related in John 4 is of such a character, told as it is in touching simplicity, and revealing at the same time the perfect wisdom and the perfect grace of the Good Shepherd, in His seeking, and finding, and saving the lost sheep.
Jesus leaves Judea to go to Galilee, and must needs go through Samaria. He comes to a city of Samaria called Sychar. “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.”
It was a wonderful sight that. Jesus was God manifest in flesh, the incarnate Word, the Creator and upholder of the universe; and yet He is there a man, tired, hungry, and thirsty. He has pushed on to that point, His disciples have gone away into the city to buy meat, and He is left alone. And why? He wants to have a meeting with a poor sinner; He wants to be alone with her; He desires to reveal Himself as Messiah and salvation to her soul. He has chosen this very hour, ―the sixth hour, ―so that uninterruptedly He might converse with her, and not cease until she leaves her “water-pot,” and goes to the men of the city and says, “Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”
She comes to the well; she is alone; shame prevents her waiting until the cool of the evening when the maidens come to draw water; and in her face can be seen the expression of dissatisfaction and disappointment, for sin never satisfies, but always disappoints, ―it leaves an aching void in the heart.
She comes to the well. Jesus is there before her; He always is before the sinner who seeks Him. God sought Adam, and so it has been ever since. Jesus begins with the woman; it always is the case, God is the beginner of any work in our souls. God ever seeks the sinner; reader, He is after you, but to save you from eternal woe.
“Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.” But instead of giving Him to drink, she allows her old Samaritan prejudices to hinder her doing so. Man by nature has nothing for God, and in his heart there is no disposition towards Him. But if the poor woman will give Jesus no water, He will give her some. “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.” If prejudice hindered her from giving, love divine prompted Him to speak to her of what she so much stood in need of, ― “the gift of God,” and “living water.” He revealed to her the fact that God was a giving God, and that He gave “living water,” that quenched the soul’s thirst forever.
But she does not understand the Good Shepherd yet; she is still a stranger to the language of grace, and is still occupied with her “water-pot” and the water of “Jacob’s well.”
“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 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.”
Wonderful words! showing as they do the inability of all that the world can offer to quench the thirst of the soul, or meet the need and cravings of the heart. “Thirst again,” can be written over all the pleasures and pursuits of earth. Never was man satisfied with them, not even Solomon. But God “gives” something that quenches the thirst of the soul forever, and connects the heart with the great reservoir of blessing above; it “shall be, in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Beloved reader, do you thirst in your soul? If so, God speaks to you of a gift, and that gift is “living water,” which once drunk will slake your thirst for eternity, and fill your heart with happiness and praise to God. Oh, drink of this water of life! “Stoop down, and drink and live.” “Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22).
But marvelous is the ignorance of the poor woman. Man cannot rise higher than himself. Jesus has piped unto her the sweet notes of grace, and she has not danced. She still is occupied with Jacob’s well, and her natural thirst. “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”
What was now to be done? Her conscience must be awakened, the arrow of conviction must dart in there, her whole life must come up and pass in review before her. “Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.”
Dear reader, conscience-work is solemn. To be consciously in the presence of One who knows all about us is a solemn thing; but if He brings us there, convicts us, lays all bare, passes all in review before us, it is that we might know the blood that cleanses, and the grace that saves.
The woman said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said unto her, “Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.” All is out now, the whole of her filthy life; it is seen in the light of His presence, who is light. She owns Jesus as a prophet; that is, one who spoke on God’s part, and revealed His mind. She now felt that she had to say to One who was speaking to her God’s thoughts about herself, and she stands a convicted sinner in His presence.
Oh, my reader, have you ever stood a convicted sinner in the presence of an infinitely holy God? If so, you know somewhat of the feelings of this poor woman’s soul at this moment.
She now speaks of worshipping. Even a harlot can talk about religion and worship. But, unsaved sinners, be they harlots or church members, cannot worship God, nor live religious. They are alike away from God, all alike needing salvation. Then the Saviour speaks, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews.”
Salvation! mark, my reader, that word salvation. Do you know salvation? Are you saved? Are you delivered from the wrath to come? If not, you are away from God; there never has been a note of praise ascending up from your heart to God; for an unsaved sinner cannot worship; he is in danger of the wrath to come. What you need is salvation, salvation for your soul, salvation from your lost estate, salvation from the power of Satan, salvation from an eternal hell. Do not pretend to be a worshipper before you are saved. Reverse the order; be saved first, and then worship with your whole being.
Mark now what follows. The woman says, “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.”
What is the answer? The answer brought that Christ distinctly before her. The eyes of all, from Adam down, had been taught to look for that coming One, the seed of the woman, the Messiah, the Christ of God. Jesus saith unto her, “I that speak unto thee am he.”
It was enough. God’s gift was before her, and she received Him. The living water was there, and she drank and lived. The Saviour of sinners had revealed Himself to her, she believed and was saved. The Messiah, the Christ of God, had come, and without a question she accepted Him. “He came to his own [the Jews], and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:11, 1211He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:11‑12)).
Who can tell the blessedness of that hour, when that poor harlot-sinner emerged from darkness to light, ―passed from death unto life, and from a state of prejudice and profound ignorance to the knowledge of the Christ of God as the Saviour of her soul? She was saved! Wondrous word, but true! Grace divine had reached her through the blessed Saviour, and saved her. She stood on earth, beneath the eye of God, and before men, not merely a reclaimed harlot, BUT A SAVED SINNER, a monument of divine mercy, a trophy of God’s grace.
Can she be silent? Ah, no; her heart was full of her new-found joy, light divine illumes her soul, her lips must speak the praise of the One who had saved her.
She leaves “her water-pot,” and goes into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” Her lips confessed what her heart possessed.
Mark the effect. “Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.” “Many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.” “They besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; 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.”
Thus the poor woman was saved, and many of her companions in sin. What can not the grace of God do?
Beloved reader, can you say in the light of eternity, “I have heard him myself, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world?”
If so, let your lips and life testify what your heart possesses.
“Sweet was the hour, O Lord, to Thee,
At Sychar’s lonely well,
When a poor outcast heard Thee there
Thy great salvation tell.
There Jacob’s erring daughter found
Those streams unknown before,
The water-brooks of life that make
The weary thirst no more.”
E. A.