Woman at the Well

Here are my deeeeep thoughts from church on Sunday.

The story was about the woman at the well (or something around those verses in John). She was a Samaritan - hated by the Jews - just because they were from Samaria. Jesus asks her for a drink. Of course she is shocked that a Jew would even speak to her, much less ask her for water. What is he doing here anyway? Most Jews go AROUND Samaria, not THROUGH it. Remember the good Samaritan helping the beaten and bloody Jew? Also unheard of, shocking, in that culture.

Anyway, Jesus asks her to go get her husband. She doesn't have a husband. Jesus says "I know, and in fact, the guy you are living with now is not your husband." She had been with lots of "husbands." You know the type. Probably a very needy (aren't we all?) woman going from man to man's bed trying to satisfy a deep need that she can't fully describe. Maybe she needed security, maybe her Daddy never hugged her, or maybe it was just simple promiscuity. We don't know.

I wonder what Imus would say if he were reporting this story? He'd probably be back off the air for a while.

This woman is amazed by Jesus' ability to "tell me everything I ever did." Jesus didn't condemn her or throw rocks at her, he just told her what she had done. I think it was more than historical accounting that got her. Mabye it was something about the way he looked at her. Maybe it was a kindness in His voice that she had never heard from a man. Maybe he was the first man that she ever met that treated her with dignity and respect. I'll bet he was the first man that ever loved her just because she was His - not because of what she could give.

She ran back to the village and told everyone that would listen, "you have GOT to meet this man that told me everything I ever did." Two points here: 1. I do not think I would go running down the street to meet a man who could tell the whole village everything I have ever done. I am kind of a private person. I don't want anyone going through my garbage. But this woman, she had reached her breaking point. The point where she didn't care anymore. She wanted Jesus' living water more than she wanted her privacy. I believe that Jesus wants to bring us all to that point. To the point where we want Him more than we want anything else - including our dignity and pride.

Point #2. This woman did not go and kick the man out of her house or go through any 12-step program to get "clean" or "certifiably holy", before she was used by God. She simply ran and invited people to come see this amazing man who promised living waters to all who would come.

If there was ever a broken vessel for carrying the light of Christ, she was it. We don't have to be perfect* to share Jesus with others. He knows we are dust. He knows we are frail. He knows we are broken and bound to this sinful flesh until the day he calls us home.

Deep thought: What we are should never disqualify us from proclaiming who He is.




*disclaimer: Romans 6:1-2