She was lonely, feeling abandoned and unlovable. Ostracized by most in society, her life was probably one of sadness and hurt. As the phrase goes, she was “looking for love in all the wrong places”. Many people can relate with this woman to varying degrees. Then everything changed in her life one day when she met Someone at the well. Let’s take a look at this account of the woman at the well in the Gospel of John.
Many of us are familiar with this account in John’s Gospel, of the Samaritan woman at the well, and her transforming encounter with the Lord Jesus. Jesus’ disciples had left Him at the well to rest, while they went to buy some lunch (vs. 5-8). Usually women would come retrieve their water in groups together, and at a cooler time of day. However, this unnamed woman came alone to the well at noon. This was probably because of public shaming due to her five failed marriages, and the fact that she was currently living with another man (vs. 17-18). This caused her to become isolated from other women. She must have been startled, surprised, and shocked when she saw Jesus sitting there alone. Then He broke all proper social customs by asking her, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink. Jesus wasn’t really interested in getting a drink. Rather than seeing an outcast, Jesus saw a desperately hurting soul who needed salvation, and that is what He was going to offer her. Jesus would use the water here that she was seeking to retrieve as an allegory of the Holy Spirit and the salvation He would offer.
We come into this world spiritually thirsty. We need living water to satisfy the soul. We all have a desire for more than the world can offer, and only God can satisfy that desire. The world only gives temporary relief. We all thirst after God, even before we are saved and know that this is what we are thirsting for (Psalm 42:1, Isaiah 55:1-3). Jesus is the Living Water, symbolic of the eternal life mediated by the Holy Spirit from Him (vs. 10). Jesus used the woman’s need for physical water to sustain life as an object lesson for her need for spiritual transformation. Only Jesus can satisfy this thirst in our soul (vs. 13-15).
This woman didn’t realize that Jesus was talking about spiritual needs (vs. 15). However, Jesus turned the conversation to real spiritual needs for conversion and cleansing from sin (vs. 16). She tried to change the subject when it became uncomfortable, but He gently guided the conversation back to God and salvation (vs. 16-20). The Samaritan woman was interested in Jesus’ message because she thought it could make her life easier. However, Jesus didn't come to take away problems, but to change us and empower us to deal with them from God’s perspective.
Jesus knew her pain and heartache. She must have felt worthless, abandoned, and unloved after being divorced by five husbands. This woman wanted love and acceptance. She hurt deeply. God knows when we have deep hurt or secret shame. He knew what she needed - to feel loved, valued, and accepted. He knew a relationship with Him was the answer. Jesus showed us through this woman, that He will forgive us when we are willing to confess our sin to Him. We can never do anything so bad that it will cause God to love us less. We all have an empty void in our life that only God can fill. Any attempt to fill it with anything else will only bring temporary comfort. We were created for God. Nothing else will bring lasting satisfaction.
We all keep drinking from false wells (Jeremiah 2:13). Satan keeps deceiving us into thinking that happiness and fulfillment can be found by getting enough love, success, revenge, etc. Only a relationship with Jesus can make us whole. He gives us Living Water that quenches our thirst forever. It is only through Jesus Christ that the whole world will ever find salvation.
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