I love John 4:28. It says that after talking
with Jesus, the woman [at the well] “left her water jar beside the well” and
headed back toward town. Have you ever had an unexpected encounter so
world-shaking that it caused you to forget
what you were doing? I can picture Jesus noticing the forgotten water
jar and smiling at its symbolism. She’d not only brought an empty water jar to
the well, she’d brought an empty life. And she was leaving them both behind.
I also love the stir this woman created
when she got back to town. Keep in mind, she wouldn’t have been a popular
figure. People would have distanced themselves from her. But on this day her
message was so intriguing and her enthusiasm so contagious that even her
harshest critics were filled with curiosity. “Come and meet a man who told me
everything I ever did!” she said (John 4:29).
And they did. Followed her out to the
well as if she were the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Such is the power of a changed life.
-- Mark Atteberry in “Free Refill: Coming Back for More of Jesus”
#4287
Jesus answered [the woman at the well], “If
you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would
have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” (John
4:10 NIV)
Volumes have been written about the
things Jesus said to this woman. In particular, His comments about worshipping
in spirit and in truth are considered foundational. But to fully appreciate
Jesus’ compassionate understanding, we must give some thought to what He didn’t say. He didn’t enumerate her
sins, lecture her for setting a bad example, ask for an explanation, demand an
apology, or tell her she was going to Hell if she didn’t shape up. It’s hard to
imagine a minister standing face-to-face with the biggest sinner in town -- a
woman whose life would have made a great Jerry
Springer episode -- and not even broaching the subject of morality, but
that’s what Jesus did.
Why?
Because He understood that she’d been
hammered enough. Nobody knew better than she did what a mess she’d made of her
life. She lived with the consequences of her choices every day and slept with
them every night. What she needed was not another rebuke, but a deep, refreshing
drink of living water.
-- Mark Atteberry in “Free Refill: Coming Back for More of Jesus"
#4286
