The
sun shone through my window like every other morning of my life. I got up early and found my jug to go down
and draw water from the well. I looked over to my man, still asleep and he
seemed so peaceful.
However,
it didn’t feel that way last night when we were arguing. Then, I felt like
leaving him, but all I could do was cry and cry. I sighed and stared once again
out the window. Some of the other women were already headed down the road, so I
quickly grabbed my shawl, wrapped up my head and walked out the door and
quietly closed it as I heard him stir a little and turn over. Times were tough
and there was little work for him to do anyway. He might as well keep on
sleeping.
How disillusioning it all was, I thought as I strolled. I once looked up to him but now, how he had
fallen in my mind. And if I left him, what would I do and where would I go? My
life is a hopeless mess!
But
when I arrived at the well, there was this strange man there staring at me! How dare he! I thought. And he was
dressed like a Jew. I ignored him and started pulling the ropes to get a bucket
of water.
“Hello,”
he stated matter-of-factly. “Could you give me a drink of that water?”
My
eyes grew big with alarm.
“You?
You talking to me?
He
just nodded his head and continued staring.
“Do
you know who I am, mister? I’m a Samaritan woman. It is absolutely forbidden
for you, a Jew, to talk to any Samaritans, much less a woman!”
He
looked at me and one eyebrow went up. “If you knew who it was who is asking you
for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living
water.”’
I
was very skeptical at this response and shook my head as I finished drawing
from the well.
“What?
Living water? Are you kidding? First of
all, you have nothing to draw water with and this is a deep well. From where,
then, are you going to get this living water?”
I pulled the bucket off the rope and the water
splashed a little on the ground. Then I turned and faced Him again.
He
was silent, so I continued. “You know, you have a lot of nerve to think that
you’re greater than our father, Jacob who gave us this beautiful well.” I
waited for his response.
Jesus
shook his head and smiled slightly.
“Let
me explain. You see, whosoever drinks of this water shall get thirsty again.”
He
took a sip of the water I offered Him.
“But
whosoever drinks of the living water which I shall give him, shall have in
himself a well of water springing up unto eternal life.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“And
if you give me this water so that I won’t ever be thirsty, does that mean I
won’t ever have to come back here again?” A smile rose to my lips; a smile of
disbelief.
“Go back and call your husband and come back
with him,” he suggested.
“I,
um, don’t have a husband.”
“Yes,
you have no husband right now but you have had five husbands and the man you
are living with is not your husband. In this, you are truthful.”’
Mmm…I thought to myself, a religious fanatic know-it-all!
I was angry. My stomach felt like I’d been
punched. I was silent in thought a minute about how I would phrase my next
words.
“So, are you some sort of prophet?” I politely
asked after I regained my composure. “We believe a little differently than the
Jews, you know. We worship God in our own mountain and you worship Him in
Jerusalem.”
Jesus
just smiled warmly and I melted. “Woman, believe me, the time is coming when
you shall not worship in this mountain, nor yet in Jerusalem…but the time is
coming and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit
and in truth…God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in
Spirit and in truth…”
“I
may be only a Samaritan woman but I do know that when the Messiah comes, who is
called the Christ, He will tell us everything we need to know about salvation.”
“I
am He that speaks to you.”
I
couldn’t believe my ears. “You? You are Him?” Suddenly, I fell to my knees. I
believed Him.
“Yes,
you are the Savior! You are my Savior! Lord, forgive me!”
Jesus
looked upon me with such compassion, my eyes burst with tears.
“I
do.”
Suddenly,
some other Jewish men walked up to us. Their eyes were wide with shock.
“James!
John! Look at this! Jesus is talking to a Samaritan woman! He’s broken every
social rule!”
“I
wouldn’t bother Him. He knows what He’s doing!” The other man said.
I
picked up my water jug and said: “Jesus, please stay right here, I’ll be right
back!”
I
ran home put my jug up and woke up my guy.
“Let’s
go now!” I exclaimed “There’s this man you must meet!”
He
reluctantly followed me back. Soon a crowd of people had been gathered by the
well.
Jesus
was still there, still smiling at everyone who came.
“Attention,
please!” I shouted. “Come see a man who knows all about me! Is this not Christ
the Savior?”
Many
came forward that day; many whose lives also were changed.
What
about you? Do you know Him? Has He changed your life? Is He your Savior, too?
