You might not think that driving the 70 miles from Judea to Galilee would take very long. But now, think how long it would take if you were walking that 70 miles. At a normal walking pace, walking up and down hills on dirt roads, it would take 2-1/2 days. That was a pretty long walk for Jesus and His disciples. About halfway between the two places was the land of Samaria, and that’s where Jesus wanted to stop for a while. You see, there was a certain woman there, a very great sinner, and He had a message for her.
Jesus knew there was a well in the little village of Sychar in Samaria. When they finally got there, He was very tired and rested on the side of the well, while the disciples went into the village to buy food.
While He was resting there, a woman came to the well with an empty waterpot on her shoulder. She may have had a long rope too, since anyone wanting to fill a waterpot would have to drop it down a long way to reach the water. Once it was full, then it would be pulled up again using the rope.
This woman was quite surprised to see a Jewish man sitting at the well in the middle of the day. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink.
Then she was even more surprised, because the Jewish people didn’t speak to the Samaritans. She asked Him, Why are you asking me for a drink? She did not know Jesus or anything about Him, and she did not know about His wonderful supply of living water.
Jesus answered the woman’s question. If you knew who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him for yourself. And He would have given you living water. He said this because He knew she needed more than water from that well: She needed the living water that only He could give, to cleanse her from her sins.
Boys and girls, do you know about Jesus and His supply of living water? Do you know that the living water He gives is forever? Is He your very own Saviour? If your answer to these questions is yes, then tell others about Him—even your friends from school or those you play with.
The woman at the well didn’t understand what He was talking about. She only knew about well water, not living water. Jesus told her, Call your husband and come here. Her quick answer was, I have no husband.
Jesus knew her answer was only a cover-up, because He knows everything about everybody, including you and me. He’s the Son of God! And then He told her the truth about herself: You have had five husbands, and the one you are living with now is not your husband.
She seemed to forget about the waterpot and the well, and she said, I know that Christ is coming. When He comes, He will tell us all things.
Now listen to His answer. I that speak to you am HE!
His disciples came back at that minute with food for Him. But when they saw that He had found His heart’s desire of telling a sinner about the living water, they said nothing. Did you know that His heart’s desire is to show Himself to you, and that He wants to give you the spiritual living water that will save your soul for all eternity? He loves you deeply and came to die for you. Will you, a sinner, come to Him for that living water that will cleanse you from every sin?
The woman went at once to the city and said to the men, Come, see a man who told me all that I have ever done. Is not this the Christ? And they answered by coming out of the city to listen to Him. Many of them believed His words and received that living water that only He can give to a sinner who will believe in Him.
You may read this story for yourself in John, chapter 4.
ML-02/08/2015