Every Sunday, I go into my #takebackyourlife Facebook group and deliver a tiny “sermon.” I don’t know why I’ve called them sermons except that it works well with Sunday—so Tiny Sunday Sermon.
This week I shared the story of the woman at the well. (John 4:1-30 -The Message Bible). Much commentary has been written about this not-so-random encounter between Jesus and the nameless woman.
First, when we read the passage, it says that Jesus went through Samaria to get to Galilee. There was hostility between Jews and Samaritans.
I wondered why Jesus would make a pit stop there.
This week I shared the story of the woman at the well. (John 4:1-30 -The Message Bible). Much commentary has been written about this not-so-random encounter between Jesus and the nameless woman.
First, when we read the passage, it says that Jesus went through Samaria to get to Galilee. There was hostility between Jews and Samaritans.
I wondered why Jesus would make a pit stop there.
He meets up with the woman drawing water from the well and asks her for a drink. She was surprised because Jesus spoke to her, given that He was a Jew and she was a Samaritan.
She mentions that He has nothing with which to draw the water, and then Jesus tells her of the “living water.”
I don’t know about you, but I would be so curious and confused. She has to ask, “Where do I get this living water?”
It made me wonder if her spirit was already beginning to sense that this was no ordinary man.
Then she says, “Give me this water.”
Wow! I’m convinced she knew something but probably wasn’t prepared for Jesus to tell her to get her husband.
Oh no! Now it was getting a little uncomfortable for this woman.
Jesus gives her the rest of the story when she tells Him she has no husband, she has had five husbands, and she isn’t married to the one she’s with now! (v. 16-18)
She counters by changing the subject. Check it out. (v. 19,20)
At this point in the story, I wondered if what she heard was too much to bear for this woman. I felt she might have been struggling with the shame of her life’s choices. She didn’t want to talk about it!
Shame always keeps the secrets that would leave us so exposed to more hurt and rejection. Shame is the devil’s way of separating us from Jesus and others.
But guess what? Jesus knew. He didn’t just “happen” to go through Samaria.
Jesus went to Samaria, to that well, to meet her! He knew what she was carrying and confronted her with the Truth and an offer of “living water” — taking back her life for a new, forever way of being.
I was reminded that Jesus goes way out of the way to get us to see the Truth. Not to hurt us but to heal us.
She mentions that He has nothing with which to draw the water, and then Jesus tells her of the “living water.”
I don’t know about you, but I would be so curious and confused. She has to ask, “Where do I get this living water?”
It made me wonder if her spirit was already beginning to sense that this was no ordinary man.
Then she says, “Give me this water.”
Wow! I’m convinced she knew something but probably wasn’t prepared for Jesus to tell her to get her husband.
Oh no! Now it was getting a little uncomfortable for this woman.
Jesus gives her the rest of the story when she tells Him she has no husband, she has had five husbands, and she isn’t married to the one she’s with now! (v. 16-18)
She counters by changing the subject. Check it out. (v. 19,20)
At this point in the story, I wondered if what she heard was too much to bear for this woman. I felt she might have been struggling with the shame of her life’s choices. She didn’t want to talk about it!
Shame always keeps the secrets that would leave us so exposed to more hurt and rejection. Shame is the devil’s way of separating us from Jesus and others.
But guess what? Jesus knew. He didn’t just “happen” to go through Samaria.
Jesus went to Samaria, to that well, to meet her! He knew what she was carrying and confronted her with the Truth and an offer of “living water” — taking back her life for a new, forever way of being.
I was reminded that Jesus goes way out of the way to get us to see the Truth. Not to hurt us but to heal us.
Yolanda is a certified Professional Life Coach. She holds an MA in Human Relations. She is a skilled presenter, with over 20 years as a workshop facilitator, creator and leader of the Refresh Retreat, and speaker equipping, encouraging, and energizing women to know and fulfill God’s plan and purpose in their lives.
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