The Meeting
I didn’t realize it had been written so long ago. Still good though. :)
. . .
John chapter 4 is another one of the places in Holy Writ that I enjoy visiting and so I stopped by this morning to sit a spell there. If you are familiar with the passage, Jesus was sitting for a spell too. The disciples had gone into town to the local Sonic and Jesus was waiting at the well. Yes, He was tired and yes He was resting but He was also, I believe, waiting for a certain woman who was coming to the well at noon — Not when the other women would come to the well; shall we say she was not well-liked by the women of the city of Samaria. So there He sits and she comes to fill her water pot and knowing her heart and knowing her need, He asked her for a drink. Let’s look in on them.
John 4
7 Presently, when a woman of Samaria came along to draw water, Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink.
He knew how to get her attention, didn’t He? He knows how to get the attention of those loved ones for whom we are praying too and He knows just when they will be at the well. And they do have to get to the well BEFORE He says “Give Me a drink”.
8 For His disciples had gone off into the town to buy food.
See I told you they went to the local Sonic for a strawberry cheesecake milkshake and an order of fries.
9 The Samaritan woman said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan [and a] woman, for a drink?–For the Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans.
You see our Jesus talks to those who others will not give the time of day… Aren’t you glad? I am!
10 Jesus answered her, If you had only known and had recognized God’s gift and Who this is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him [instead] and He would have given you living water.
11 She said to Him, Sir, You have nothing to draw with [no drawing bucket] and the well is deep; how then can You provide living water? [Where do You get Your living water?]
And look at this! She said You have no bucket … How are you going to get water out of this well? How many times have we done that? How many times have we looked at our situation and said, just how are you going to fix this? You have nothing to work with! Nothing to even start with!
12 Are You greater than and superior to our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well and who used to drink from it himself, and his sons and his cattle also?
And sometimes we even go on with our questions. And He lets us but He does have the Answer. Will we listen?
13 Jesus answered her, All who drink of this water will be thirsty again.
So He talks to her about a common need. We can do that with those we meet today.
14 But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life.
15 The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water, so that I may never get thirsty nor have to come [continually all the way] here to draw.
16 At this, Jesus said to her, Go, call your husband and come back here.
This was not pleasant for her but it was necessary, and He was gentle but her sins she had to face.
17 The woman answered, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have spoken truly in saying, I have no husband.
You know what I like here? She told the truth. That is the KEY to meeting Jesus — TELL THE TRUTH; agree with HIM.
18 For you have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband. In this you have spoken truly.
19 The woman said to Him, Sir, I see and understand that You are a prophet.
A little light is dawning here! And so He explains, now that she is READY to listen.
20 Our forefathers worshiped on this mountain, but you [Jews] say that Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary and proper to worship.
21 Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither [merely] in this mountain nor [merely] in Jerusalem.
22 You [Samaritans] do not know what you are worshiping [you worship what you do not comprehend]. We do know what we are worshiping [we worship what we have knowledge of and understand], for [after all] salvation comes from [among] the Jews.
23 A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers.
24 God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).
25 The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming, He Who is called the Christ (the Anointed One); and when He arrives, He will tell us everything we need to know and make it clear to us.
This I really like — this tells me without a doubt that she had been prepared for this day. She KNEW the Messiah was coming; she had the background information she needed; the groundwork had been done BEFORE she came to the well. HE STILL WORKS THIS WAY!!
26 Jesus said to her, I Who now speak with you am He.
27 Just then His disciples came and they wondered (were surprised, astonished) to find Him talking with a woman [a married woman]. However, not one of them asked Him, What are You inquiring about? or What do You want? or, Why do You speak with her?
28 Then the woman left her water jar and went away to the town. And she began telling the people,
She hit the ground running, telling others that she had met the Messiah. She had fallen in love with JESUS — the greatest Man of her life — The God-Man! I love it!!
29 Come, see a Man Who has told me everything that I ever did! Can this be [is not this] the Christ? [Must not this be the Messiah, the Anointed One?]
30 So the people left the town and set out to go to Him. And because of her witness others came to see Him for themselves and they believed too!!
Oh, yes, I love chapter 4 — I know about that well and He who waited for me at that well. Oh, what a Savior He is… MY SAVIOR!
Yours, too?
Oh, Father, I love this; thank You; thank You. Thank You for meeting me at the well and for knowing all I had done and loving me anyway; thank You. And thank You that You do the same for all of us; You know us all and You love us still. What a Savior You are. Thank You. Thank You that You are blessing my people today; that you are preparing others who are on their way to the well and thank You that You allow us the privilege of helping in this work and we pray for a clear vision of the work You have called us to do and we pray for accurate timing… that we will seize upon Your timing and go with You. Thank You; thank You for what You have in store for us today; for it is all good and for Jesus’ sake.
Brave the Dark with The LIGHT,
Kathie
