As we continue on today with the story of the Samaritan woman, we are
going to begin our day with the emotion of surprise. When we are surprised,
we are come upon unawares; suddenly and unexpectedly we are struck with
wonder. Our minds are thrown into disorder by such sudden presentation
of those things seen or heard that have fallen upon us. When was the last
time you were really surprised, dear lady? What was it that surprised
you? How did you respond? Were you left baffled by the unusual? Such was
the case with the Samaritan woman when Jesus approached her. Come with
me and you'll see what I mean as we begin today with verse 9 of John chapter
4....
Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a
Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have
no dealings with the Samaritans.
Why should the Samaritan woman be surprised? Because in Jewish culture
it was considered inappropriate for a man to speak even to his own wife
in public, let alone a strange woman! Rabbinic law stated that the words
of the law should be burned rather than taught publicly to a woman. Yet
here Jesus Christ is found openly addressing this woman with no concern
at all for anything but her… Jesus set aside social customs because a
soul was at stake. People should matter more, amen? You can imagine the
surprise and confusion on the part of the Samaritan woman. I'm sure that
as she approached the well and was finally within speaking distance of
Christ, she never expected Him to even look at her let alone converse
with her! The surprise of being sought after exclusively by the Lord is
certainly a wonder, is it not ladies? Those of us who know the Lord as
Savior can identify with this kind of wonder, can remember this pleasant
surprise that came into our lives, leaving us amazed and in awe to think
that the God of the universe would even think upon us and die for us!
Yet when Jesus was on the cross, we were on His mind - as individuals!
Psalm 40:17
But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me....
How did Jesus answer the Samaritan woman's question? I don't know if you
picked up on this or not, but I sensed a bit of suspicion mixed in with
this woman's surprise. Her initial attitude was probably one of "What
do YOU want with ME?" due to the fact that she was caught off guard. Perhaps
she was even trying to read between the lines and find another meaning
to Christ's request for a drink at her hands... As we will see shortly,
this single woman had been looking for love in all the wrong places and
she probably did not believe that any man could be trusted to truly care
for her. Naturally, herself a Samaritan, she expected gruff treatment
of this Jew. Certainly she was ignorant of who Christ was, of what He
had to offer, and how she could receive it. He had a precious gift to
present her with and she did not know it yet… Jesus though, answered her
sarcasm gently, understanding her confusion, and wisely used His words
to keep their dialogue going still. Remember that ladies, when you share
Christ with others who might react with suspicion to the truth. Understand
their bewilderment and be patient with them as Jesus was. Don't snort
and roll your eyes at the blindness of others or the hardness of their
hearts! This behavior of Christ has caught them off guard; it is unexpected
attention. Wisely keep the dialogue going! Direct the conversation to
their basic spiritual need… Watch now, how Christ answers the Samaritan
woman in verse 10:
Jesus answered and said unto her, 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.
You see here that Jesus has now taken the focus off of His need for a
drink and placed it upon her need for living water! This was the gift
He had for her, and she did not recognize it! Here was eternal God offering
her eternal life yet temporal things have blinded her… What great kindness
is so near this female who least expects it. Jesus speaks to her of spiritual
water and arouses her interest, for He knows the Samaritan woman has been
trying to satisfy the thirst of her soul in the wrong way… The water she
had been tapping into was leaving her very thirsty - that much she knew.
Therefore, she pursues the discussion with Christ, forgetting now the
non-traditional setting she had found herself in, wanting to understand
further His words.
John 4:11 & 12:
The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the
well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater
than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself,
and his children, and his cattle?
The Samaritan woman was concerned about where Christ would get this water
and how He would get this water, confusing the material with the spiritual.
She was still thinking of the world's water, not Heaven's water. Jesus
though, remained patient with her questions, questions that were even
challenging His holiness, as He brings her into an even closer understanding
of Himself with His prudent answers.
Ladies, are you patient and willing to gently answer the challenging questions
of the lost when they are presented to you - without becoming defensive?
Are you able to wisely use the Scriptures to help others come to a complete
understanding of Christ? With every individual you meet, you will meet
up with a unique set of questions. Though we must be careful not to become
entangled with foolish inquiries as Titus 3:9 teaches, legitimate questions
do deserve legitimate answers. Let's observe Christ's reply as seen in
verses 13 and 14:
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.
Christ goes on to state that if a person comes to Jacob's well, they will
thirst again and need to come back to drink again. But if one drinks of
Christ's well, he shall never thirst! It is a continual source of living
water, springing up into everlasting life! Now Jesus is appealing to the
woman's craving for real satisfaction; will she understand? How true it
is that the things of this world never completely gratify, amen ladies?
But when the real source of satisfaction comes along, will it be recognized,
will it be grasped by the lost? Jesus was making progress with this woman,
but by her answer in verse 15, we can see that she still does not understand
completely...
The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not,
neither come hither to draw.
You see, the Samaritan woman was still thinking in terms of the physical.
She wanted the water Jesus spoke of because it sounded like it would make
her physical life easier. She would not have to come to the well any longer
to draw from it. Why not ask Him for that kind of water! One less chore
to do in a day sounded good to her. How frustrating that she was still
missing the truth… Even so, at this point do we find that Christ gave
up on her? Was He impatiently beginning to wonder when this woman was
going to understand what He was talking about?? No, Jesus wasn't finished
yet - not until she understood!
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
Incidentally, how soon do you quit on lost people, dear lady?? How far
are you willing to go in your dialogue with the unsaved? Do you get exasperated
when it seems as if they are never going to "get it"? I want to stop with
this point today, because I want to leave you with the process that Christ
went through in reaching this one particular woman. When it comes to winning
a lost soul, every second counts. Whatever it took to bring her to a clear
understanding of salvation is what the Son of God was willing to subject
Himself to. Jesus would patiently labor for her soul and keep the door
of communication open between them. He did not close that door with the
slam of impatience or disgust because God is not willing that any should
perish. Let's reflect on this process today and next time we will find
out how Christ begins to deal directly with her sin on a more intimate
level. Then we'll look at the fruit of determination in reaching the lost.
Remember ladies, Christ is our supreme example - pattern yourself after
Him today as you deal with the unsaved. Your patience and concern might
come as a pleasant surprise to someone!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
