Living water

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  - John 4.9-10

This whole account is an amazing one. To set the stage Jews and Samaritans hated each other. I mean they REALLY hated each other. There hatred was deep and had a long history. Suffice it to say that Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans and Samaritans had nothing to do with Jews.

Then we have the two main characters in the account. Jesus was the prefect, sinless Messiah and well known Teacher. The woman, at best, was a woman of a less than respectable reputation.

And yet, when it was time for a trip north Jesus said to the disciples, ‘We need to go through Samaria.’

Nobody did that. It was far too dangerous. It was much safer to go around Samaria going north to Galilee. But here we have Jesus at a well in the middle of Samaria talking to a woman who was probably a prostitute.

She was stunned. ‘Why would a Jew stop here and ask me for water?’ But Jesus had a much greater purpose. ‘If you knew who I was you would ask me for a drink and I would give you living water.’

They went on to talk about this living water. Eventually she becomes convinced, believes His words, and brings many of the townspeople out to meet Jesus. What a great blessing!

Jesus had to go through Samaria to reach this one woman. We had to go because she would bring others to Him. How important is it to reach out to that one.

He had to go because He had the living water that everyone needed. That living water is the one thing that can forever quench the deep spiritual thirst that all mankind has. That living water is still around today. Only the living water that Christ offers can meet the deep spiritual thirst that people all around us have.

Let’s be always ready to offer those around us a drink of that water.