Living Water: Part 2

Before we dive into part 2 of the Living Water blog, if you haven't read part 1, then go read it now! Living Water: Part 1

Now that we are all caught up, I don’t want to waste any time! We left off last week in John 4:13-15. These verses are where Jesus is saying that anyone who drinks the living water will never be thirsty again. Then the woman says back to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.” 

I dove into these verses in Living Water: Part 1, but I want to reiterate that the woman was still thinking that Jesus was talking about literal water. Instead, He was using it as a figure of speech and talking about Himself. What Jesus says next is like getting punched in the stomach. 

John 4:16-18 says this, ““Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”” 

In the last blog, I had made it known that this woman came to the well at a different time than all of the other women. I had said that she was possibly an outcast where she lived. Why? Because she was living a very sinful lifestyle. I am sure people looked down at her and shamed her for how she was living. And now, this random man that she just met already knows her business! How do you think this made her feel? Reading this could make it sound like Jesus was harsh, and maybe he was. Sometimes the Lord has to be harsh with us. But I believe that he said this in a loving manner. I believe that he said this in order to help show who he is. He knew who she was. He knew what her life was like. He knew every single detail. And he knows you too. He knows what you’re hiding, what you’re ashamed of. He knows you, and he still loves you. 

Before Part 1 of this blog came out, I was struggling to write it. I mean, big time struggling. I knew I was supposed to write about the Woman at the Well, but no words were coming out. On the Sunday before I was supposed to release it, my pastor mentioned this story in his sermon and it’s like everything fell into place. One of the things that he said about this part of the story is this, “Jesus had to bring up her past and her sins, not to hurt her; but to heal her.” And that part hit me so hard. We can do all the hiding that we want to. We can secretly sin or even outwardly sin. We can go through hard things in life and ignore it. But those things will do nothing but continue to hurt us until we open ourselves up for the Lord to move. And that is what Jesus was doing here. He was not bringing up her lifestyle in order to hurt her or condemn her, but to heal her. 

John 4:19-20 is her response and it says this, ““Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”” Here we see that she starts to see a glimpse of who Jesus is. He’s a prophet in her eyes. 

John 4:21-25 is Jesus’ response to her. “Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” “The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.””

These verses give an insight to how different worship would be when Jesus died and ascended to Heaven. In this time, you would have to go to a certain place to worship God. But Jesus is pointing out that soon, everyone will be able to worship wherever they are, and in spirit and in truth. Jesus was taking this moment to explain to her even more who he was and what would happen soon. 

John 4:26 says this, ““Jesus told her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”” Although she was an outcast and a sinner, Jesus still showed himself to her and told her who he is. In other’s eyes, she was deemed unworthy, shameful, and a sinner. But in Jesus’ eyes, he saw his daughter who is worthy and set free. 

John 4:28-30 says this, “The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.” 

Jesus had walked through a place that Jews stayed away from in order to meet a woman at the well. He offered her living water. He called her out of her sinful lifestyle and showed her who He was. And now we see that she dropped everything and went and told everyone about Him. She didn’t care about her sin. She didn’t care what they thought. She just went and started sharing what happened. 

I imagine her running and screaming to everyone about Jesus. I see people staring at her, maybe even judging how she looks. She was probably ecstatic about meeting Jesus and I doubt she cared what she looked like. She was just sharing what happened during her encounter with the Messiah. 

I want to ask you, what is your encounter with Jesus like? Are you thirsty for the living water? Do you need filled? I have been in a place where I feel like the woman at the well. I feel ashamed, disgusted even. I ignore people because of it. Sometimes I have even felt like an outcast. And as hard as those moments are, it is in those moments that I feel the Lord the most. It was in that moment when Jesus met her. And he will meet you too. 

Our lives are not meant to be lived shamefully. We are not meant to be living in fear of others. We aren’t meant to be living in sin. Yet that is the world that we live in. It’s the world that surrounds us. Jesus has better for us. He is offering us His living water. He’s offering us a life of abundance. A life where we can live free from sin and shame. It’s not easy. He never said that it would be easy. I am sure that even after the woman’s encounter with Jesus, she still dealt with temptation and shame. I am sure that people were still hesitant to be around her. But she had an encounter with Jesus, and no one could take that away from her. 

Choosing to live a life for Jesus is an every minute choice. Choosing to turn from our sinful lifestyles is an every minute choice. But the Lord is with us. He gives us HIS living water to satisfy our wants and needs. He is the only one that will fill the holes in our hearts and lives. So I am asking you today, are you filled or are you still thirsty? Do you want more of Jesus? If so, take time to communicate that to Him. Talk to Him and then listen to what He has to say to you. It’s worth it. I promise.