Laura walked slowly down the path to the well. It was noon and the hottest part of the day. All the other women would be long gone by the time she reached the well. Laura would have to hurry so she wouldn't get sunburned.
She shifted the water jug from one hip to the other. Why was it that when it was especially hot the jug seemed the heaviest? She would have come early in the morning with the other women, but it was unbearable to be with them. They never looked at her or talked to her. Then when she left, they snickered or laughed. Sometimes she heard them call her a name. She could only imagine what they were calling her today.
The men of the village weren't much better either. They knew who she was, but they didn't know her name. And they didn't even care if she had a name. The only reason they cared about her, or acted like they cared, was because to them she was an object of pleasure. An object to be used and then discarded when they felt appropriate.
As she neared the well, she looked around. No women were in sight. She carefully lowered her jug into the well, carefully tipped it over and then drew it back up. She took the jug, set it on her hip and then turned to head back into town.
She took the first step and then heard a voice. "Could you please draw me a drink of water?" She turned around to see who was speaking. It was a man. But the thing that really surprised her was that he was a man from a country that was considered to be an enemy. And she could tell from the way he was dressed that he was probably a member of the ruling council. Not only were they enemies, but members of the ruling council were not allowed to talk to women alone in public.
She hesitated for a moment. Should she trust him? Did he really want only a drink? As she stood there contemplating his request, he said, "If you knew who it was that asked you for a drink you would ask him for a drink. And he would have given you a drink of living water."
"But, Sir," she said. "You have nothing to draw this water with. The well is also deep. And where are you going to get this living water? Not only did Jacob drink from this well, but his sons and his flocks did also. They're not still living. Are you greater than Jacob?"
The man said, "Anyone who drinks of the water from this well will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks of the water which I give will never be thirsty again."
Laura's eyes grew big. If she drank of this water which he gave to her, did that mean she would never have to come to this well again. She wouldn't have to worry about all the other women and their idle gossip. She would take one drink and never be thirsty again.
"Sir, could you please give me a drink of this water so I will never have to come to this well again? I want to never be thirsty again."
"Go take your water jug back to your house, bring your husband, and come back to receive this water."
Laura's eyes fell to the ground. Go get her husband. She had no husband. As a matter of fact, she had had trouble maintaining a husband.
"S..S..Sir, I have no husband," she falteringly said.
"That's right," he said.
"Uh-oh," she thought. "I'm going to get it now. The game is up. He's onto me. He'll only make fun of me like all the others. Maybe I should make some sort of explanation as to why I don't have a husband. Should I blame it on my home environment, my education, or should I just remain quiet. Maybe he doesn't realize my real background."
"As a matter of fact you have had five husbands. You are now living with someone but he is not your husband. It is quite accurate what you have just said."
Laura was quite surprised. When he said that there was no condemnation in his voice. And Laura wasn't made to feel she had to offer some excuse.
Laura and the man continued to talk some more. As they talked, Laura came to realize this was the promised Messiah. The one that had been promised back in the days of Moses. And he was nothing like what she had been taught he would be.
Laura was so excited about this man that she ran back to town, forgetting her water jug. "Come see this man I have just met. He has told me everything I have ever done. Could this be the Christ?"
The men left their positions in town and made their way to the well. They may have been curious as to the man that Laura was excited about. But after they reached the well and found out for themselves who this man was, they knew they had no reason to not believe. Many of the Samaritans believed in Jesus because of Laura's testimony.
As I look back on this story, I am amazed. I am amazed at this woman's flexibility -- going to the well at noon. I am amazed that when she was confronted with her sin, she offered no excuses. How often I want to offer an excuse when I have sinned! I am also amazed that she doesn't have a recorded name. I have just given her the name, Laura, to make it easier to tell the story. Could her name have been Kathleen? Could she have looked like me?
She was the outcast and Jesus took time to personally touch her life. He gave her the true satisfaction for which she was looking. Am I looking to Him for that satisfaction?
She shifted the water jug from one hip to the other. Why was it that when it was especially hot the jug seemed the heaviest? She would have come early in the morning with the other women, but it was unbearable to be with them. They never looked at her or talked to her. Then when she left, they snickered or laughed. Sometimes she heard them call her a name. She could only imagine what they were calling her today.
The men of the village weren't much better either. They knew who she was, but they didn't know her name. And they didn't even care if she had a name. The only reason they cared about her, or acted like they cared, was because to them she was an object of pleasure. An object to be used and then discarded when they felt appropriate.
As she neared the well, she looked around. No women were in sight. She carefully lowered her jug into the well, carefully tipped it over and then drew it back up. She took the jug, set it on her hip and then turned to head back into town.
She took the first step and then heard a voice. "Could you please draw me a drink of water?" She turned around to see who was speaking. It was a man. But the thing that really surprised her was that he was a man from a country that was considered to be an enemy. And she could tell from the way he was dressed that he was probably a member of the ruling council. Not only were they enemies, but members of the ruling council were not allowed to talk to women alone in public.
She hesitated for a moment. Should she trust him? Did he really want only a drink? As she stood there contemplating his request, he said, "If you knew who it was that asked you for a drink you would ask him for a drink. And he would have given you a drink of living water."
"But, Sir," she said. "You have nothing to draw this water with. The well is also deep. And where are you going to get this living water? Not only did Jacob drink from this well, but his sons and his flocks did also. They're not still living. Are you greater than Jacob?"
The man said, "Anyone who drinks of the water from this well will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks of the water which I give will never be thirsty again."
Laura's eyes grew big. If she drank of this water which he gave to her, did that mean she would never have to come to this well again. She wouldn't have to worry about all the other women and their idle gossip. She would take one drink and never be thirsty again.
"Sir, could you please give me a drink of this water so I will never have to come to this well again? I want to never be thirsty again."
"Go take your water jug back to your house, bring your husband, and come back to receive this water."
Laura's eyes fell to the ground. Go get her husband. She had no husband. As a matter of fact, she had had trouble maintaining a husband.
"S..S..Sir, I have no husband," she falteringly said.
"That's right," he said.
"Uh-oh," she thought. "I'm going to get it now. The game is up. He's onto me. He'll only make fun of me like all the others. Maybe I should make some sort of explanation as to why I don't have a husband. Should I blame it on my home environment, my education, or should I just remain quiet. Maybe he doesn't realize my real background."
"As a matter of fact you have had five husbands. You are now living with someone but he is not your husband. It is quite accurate what you have just said."
Laura was quite surprised. When he said that there was no condemnation in his voice. And Laura wasn't made to feel she had to offer some excuse.
Laura and the man continued to talk some more. As they talked, Laura came to realize this was the promised Messiah. The one that had been promised back in the days of Moses. And he was nothing like what she had been taught he would be.
Laura was so excited about this man that she ran back to town, forgetting her water jug. "Come see this man I have just met. He has told me everything I have ever done. Could this be the Christ?"
The men left their positions in town and made their way to the well. They may have been curious as to the man that Laura was excited about. But after they reached the well and found out for themselves who this man was, they knew they had no reason to not believe. Many of the Samaritans believed in Jesus because of Laura's testimony.
As I look back on this story, I am amazed. I am amazed at this woman's flexibility -- going to the well at noon. I am amazed that when she was confronted with her sin, she offered no excuses. How often I want to offer an excuse when I have sinned! I am also amazed that she doesn't have a recorded name. I have just given her the name, Laura, to make it easier to tell the story. Could her name have been Kathleen? Could she have looked like me?
She was the outcast and Jesus took time to personally touch her life. He gave her the true satisfaction for which she was looking. Am I looking to Him for that satisfaction?
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