A True Story
It is true that some of the details of her life might have been different than yours or mine, but fundamentally she was the same as all of us. Having experienced the end of five marriages, she undoubtedly had known what it was like to cry herself to sleep. Had these experiences made her bitter with life? Did she feel like her life was a failure? How many of her husbands had died? How many times had her husband simply grown tired of her and thrown her out with a divorce? How many times had she walked away as she became disillusioned with the marriage? We don’t know. But after five marriages, undoubtedly she carried some deep scars. Did anybody really care? What did her live in boy friend think?
One day, long after the other women would have returned from drawing their water and while the noon day sun was beating down, she had gone to the city well in Sychar to fill her jugs with water. Was this an attempt to avoid the stares and the whispers of the other women? Or had the man with whom she was living simply demanded a fresh drink of water from the well? For whatever reason, she had carried her jug to the well as the noon day sun bore down full strength. That’s when she had met the stranger sitting by the well.
He was about thirty years old. He simply asked her for a drink of water. But it amazed her that this Jewish man would break the Jewish social conventions to talk with her ... a Samaritan woman.
From the very beginning this was an unusual conversation that had taken a number of twists and turns. At first, he had asked for a drink of water, but then he surprisingly offered her living water although he had nothing with which to draw the water. When she questioned him about how he would get this water since this ancient well was deep, he responded that the water he gave would spring up within one to eternal life.
Then the stranger told her all about her life at which point she perceived that he must be a prophet. But to her astonishment he admitted to being the long-awaited Messiah. Leaving her water jar, she ran back to town to tell the people, “Come see a man who told me everything I have ever done. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:29
Like her, we go about our lives trying to do the best we can. Along our path we have made bad decisions. Sure there have been some highlights, but we’ve also experienced pain and loneliness. And then one day we meet a stranger, a stranger who dares to talk to us and to care about that person inside us. And it is a little frightening as he opens up our life and understands who we are and what our motives have been. But his purpose is not malicious. He is here to offer to take away the deep yearnings and thirstings of our soul. And then as he hangs on a cross, he holds out his arms offering eternal life. The question is, “How will I respond to such a loving Savior?” Will I just think about him once a year or will I accept his offer of eternal life?
Barry Newton, Copyright © 1998
Other Articles Which Might Be of Interest
The Best Attorney Money Can Not Buy