People are part of God’s plan: Unlikely witness – 19 May 2022

Jesus leaves Judea and travels to Galilee via Samaria. It was known as a “hostile” area. Tired from travelling, he sits down by the well in the town of Sychar. A Samaritan woman visits the well to draw water – alone. People avoid her and, in his omniscience, Jesus already knows that she is someone with a questionable reputation. She is an outsider living on the edge. But Jesus looks at her differently. As with us, there is no prejudice, He looks past our shortcomings and reputations. He sees the person. For Jesus, the woman, you, me and all other people are important.

He asks the woman for water. She frowns – at the time, Jews and Samaritans did not associate, ostensibly because the Samaritans defiled the Jews. And now he is asking her for water to drink! Jesus stays as cool as a cucumber. She believes he is a Jew. Though, he is much more. He is God’s gift to man. He gives living water (John 4:10) that quenches man’s thirst. But only to those who asks for it. The one who drinks this water, will never thirst again (John 4:13); it will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14) What Jesus is saying here, is that he is the only one able to fulfil hers, yours and my spiritual needs for ever. Have you experienced this truth in your life?

But she was mired in Jesus’ statement about water that quenches one’s thirst for ever. For her, it meant that, in future, she would never need to draw water at the well again. (John 4:15) Apparently, she thought of Jesus only on a physical, human level. She was unaware that her spiritual life was dried up by sin and that only Jesus with his godly gifts, could address her, and every other human being’s spiritual needs and thirst.

Finally, Jesus plucked a string of her dried-up heart: “Go call your husband and come here.” “I have no husband,” she replied. (John 4:16-17) An honest confession that opened the way for Jesus to unwrap her whole life up to that moment and speak hope into it. He summed up the essence of living water – it is to worship God. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)

Do you understand this godly truth? No believer can ever worship God in spirit and truth without confirmation thereof by the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, our prayers and spiritual lives are like empty words, blown away by the wind, or like water from an ordinary pit – incapable of quenching the Big Thirst in our lives.

With faith and expectation, the woman from Samaria confessed, “I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When He comes, he will explain everything to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:25-26, NIV) When it dawned on her, this unlikely witness stepped forward as one sent. Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to town and witnessed to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John 4:28)

The Word enlightens us: “Many Samaritans from that town, believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I did.’” (John 4:39) Many more believed because of his word. The truth penetrated: He is truly the Saviour of the world. (John 4:41-42)

Prayer: Father, thank you that unlikely individuals change into ones sent to minister to people. All to the glory of your wonderful name. If you can use me, I am willing to go. I know you will enable me. Amen