The Woman At The Well - Mother's Day

A thirsty heart!

John 4:4-42

May 13, 2018

VIDEO - Scripture from youtube.

I thought we would do something a little different so that we can experience a little of the scripture, instead of me just reading a long passage to you. As a disclaimer, this was a video version and not an exact quote of scripture. But I wanted you to get a feel for what was happening.

MESSAGE

It was high noon in Sychar and it was blazing hot outside. Jesus and the disciples were on their way to Galilee, and they made a stop over in Sychar. They were hungry, and the disciples continued on into the village to get food. But Jesus, who was weary from the trip stayed at the well to rest. Now this was Jacob’s Well. It was made by the grandson of Abraham, the father of the Jews. This was a special place with great significance. But today, it was simply a resting point for Jesus.

Now, there’s something unique about this trip.

Look at the map. It’s a straight shot from Jerusalem to Sychar. And then it’s a straight shot from Sychar to Galilee, maybe they would go to Cana or Nazareth, which were in Galilee. But there was a problem. Sychar is in Samaria, and no good Jew would ever travel into Samaria.

The Jews from Jerusalem and the Jews from Samaria hated each other. The Jews from the south, Judah, considered the Samaritans as half-breeds. After they were conquered by the Assyrians, they began inter-marrying the Assyrians and that led to idol worship. The Samaritans also didn’t follow the OT the way the southern Jews did. You basically had a civil war.

The trip to Sychar was 40 miles and to Galilee was another 25 miles. It was about a 2 ½ day walk.

However, if you were a real Jew, a good Jew, then you wouldn’t have taken the route Jesus took. They would have gone along the Jordan river, then up to Galilee, bypassing Samaria altogether. It would’ve added 2 more days to the trip.

Now, back to the story. This woman would have been shocked that Jesus spoke to her. Firstly, men didn’t publicly speak to women. This didn’t happen. If you did, you were sending wrong messages to people. Secondly, as I said, Samaritan Jews and southern Jews didn’t talk to one another.

It was high noon, it was the hot, and that’s when this Samaritan woman came to get water. The fact that she came there at noon was very odd. That just didn’t happen. Most people avoided heavy labor at that time of day.

The women followed the same basic routine. When they were getting water, which was very heavy, they would do it early in the morning or in the later afternoon when it wasn’t quite so hot. Secondly, they never went alone. Not because of safety, but it was a social event. It was time when the women would be able to socialize and enjoy one another’s company. But here is this woman coming out all alone and at the worst time of day.

Jesus starts the conversation. He simply asked her for a drink of water. She asked how He a Jew could ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. Then, Jesus takes the conversation in a different direction.

10 Jesus answered 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.”

She’s confused by Jesus’ comment. What’s He talking about? What do you mean, you would have given me water ... living water? What’s this guy talking about?

11 She answers Jesus, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?

Jesus has piqued her interest. He’s really telling her - - - “Child, I want to give you what you’re really looking for. You’re thirsty, but it’s not water that you’re really after. That will never fully satisfy you.”

She responds, 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”

She’s not sure where this conversation is going. But she can’t see what this strange man is going to do for her. After all, he’s certainly not greater than Jacob and he doesn’t have any way to draw water. So - - - -

13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.

The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”