New Beginnings - Relating With Women of the Bible Part 3Isampula

THE SAMARITAN WOMAN AT THE WELL—THIRSTY SOUL

The lyrics of a song I wrote says: “She was lost, lost in her direction, made the same mistakes over and over again; Looking for love in all the wrong places, all she got were the same sorry faces…” These words refer to me, and every thirsty soul that longs to be loved.

The woman at the well was thirsty. Her repetitive history screamed despicable shame. Imagine how she felt being married five times and then living with a sixth man. She must have been labeled with many different names. Perhaps, she considered herself a failure. But even if being married five times was not her fault since she could have been widowed or divorced by the men for whatever reason, she must have been tired of going through the motions. Perhaps, that’s why she resorted to the sinful option of living with someone. 

Surprisingly, Jesus sat down at Jacob’s well beside her. Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans, and women couldn’t speak with men. But Jesus was willing to break the social rules for her. He had this divine appointment in mind that He chose to go through Samaria instead of avoiding it. 

So regardless of her immoral background, He initiated the conversation. “Give me a drink of water” was His request, which she turned around to remind Him of the Jewish-Samaritan rules. 

But Jesus offered her spiritual water. Responding that she wanted the water may have been a cop-out so she wouldn’t have to go back to the well; she drew water at high noontime to ensure nobody was present who would pass judgment on her.

As Jesus brought up her relationships, He knew what she was seeking. Again, she circumvented the questioning by changing the subject to worship. But Jesus pointed out that only a personal, intimate relationship with the Father through the Son and the comfort of the Holy Spirit could satisfy her thirsty soul. Discovering that the Messiah knew truths about herself, she was compelled to share the good news with everyone in town. 

Our souls cry out desperately for God. Shame and guilt are signs of that thirst, but we are seeking satisfaction in the wrong places. Jesus invites us to come to Him, the Living Water, to quench our thirst. When we do, we overflow and can’t help but share Jesus with others also. Have you shared Jesus lately?