Wednesday, March 11
Jesus never followed the conventional path – or the easy road. He was both human and divine.
In this story he was an exhausted and impoverished traveler whose companions had gone for food without even leaving him a pitcher to dip into the well. Jesus did not perform a miracle like at the wedding at Canaan or feeding the multitudes; rather, he reached out to the Samaritan woman at the well. Perhaps that gesture was a miracle of its own.
No Jewish man of the time would think of speaking to a Samaritan woman – especially in such a public place as a community well. But Jesus spoke to her.
Jesus spoke to her knowing that the details of her life made her a scandal in her village. In fact, the story says that it was about noon. Most of the women came to the well early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the heat of the day. Maybe she came at noon to avoid the dismissive looks…Jesus engaged her. Jesus preached by his actions more powerfully than even his words. He acknowledged that he knew her story and still offered her the living water of God’s love. Indeed, he told her that “God is spirit, and those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth.” Jesus freed her from the religious controversy of the day about who had the right place to pray. Jesus delivered his message that God’s presence is everywhere, and the energy of God’s love is living water flowing for everyone. Jesus delivered that message to a woman others would ignore as unclean.
And the woman listened. She was one of the first people to whom Jesus reveled his divinity. She spread the word and the story goes that many Samaritans became believers listening to her.
With whom should we be sharing the message of God’s love?
Prayer: Living and Loving God, we are challenged and inspired by the work of our beloved savior Jesus Christ. Just as he reached out to the woman at the well, help us to reach out and see the light in the most unexpected people. Help us to drink deeply at the well of your Living Water. Help us never take your Holy Spirit for granted. Thank you for your incredible grace that brings us to faith and sustains us unto eternal life. Amen
-Jane Campbell