Listen

Jesus had to go through Samaria. He came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, which was near the land Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from his journey, so he sat down at the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.”

The Samaritan woman asked, “Why do you, a Jewish man, ask for something to drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (Jews and Samaritans didn’t associate with each other.)

Jesus responded, “If you recognized God’s gift and who is saying to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would be asking him and he would give you living water.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket and the well is deep. Where would you get this living water?

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks from the water that I will give will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will become in those who drink it a spring of water that bubbles up into eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will never be thirsty and will never need to come here to draw water!”

John 4:4-7, 9-11, 13-15

Think

The early followers of Jesus reading this story would be wondering what was going on, because honestly, none of it would have made much sense to them:

“Jesus had to go through Samaria.” Well, not really – he chose to go through Samaria as he journeyed, away from familiar places.

“It was about noon.” Many scholars think she must have been a social outcast in her community to come to the well at the heat of the day.

“(Jewish people) and Samaritans didn’t associate with one another.” So then what is Jesus doing there!?

Why would Jesus intentionally divert his journey into an inhospitable place to find a seemingly outcast member of an untrusted community? John’s readers must have been really confused about what Jesus was up to.

One of the things the Bible carries are stories of God showing up in various ways in surprising and unfamiliar places: To Elijah when he’s alone and afraid. To Daniel in a den of lions. To a Samaritan woman at a well. On a wooden cross of Roman capital punishment. In places and moments when it seems like all hope is lost.

When our world seems chaotic and scary, it’s understandable to feel anxious that God must be far away. This story reminds us that Jesus shows up when and where we might least expect. In places of fear, confusion, discrimination, injustice, violence, or war, God shows up to connect with and accompany us as a divine presence of peace, comfort, and love.

Ed Kay

Question to Ponder:

How does knowing that God is present with you in difficult times affect your ability to get through those times?

Pray

God of living water and eternal life, thank you for being with me in surprising places and challenging moments. Help me to see your presence in my life and the world around me. Give me hope and confidence knowing that you are always with me. Amen.

Go

God is our salvation and hope. Our work is to bring God’s kingdom of peace by the power of love in our thoughts, words, and actions.