Verses for Vessels

'Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans).' - John 4:6-9 NIV

Concluding...

Who's there?

As she approached the well, she pulled her veil, which was coming loose from strong afternoon breeze, closer to her face. But it was also just as good that she had done so; because no sooner had she adjusted her wrappings, than she saw him there, sitting at the well. It was very dry and dusty this time of the year. From the form, and the frame, it was.... yes, definitely a man. And he is clearly not from this area, otherwise he would not be here at such a time. It could be that he was a traveller, stopping to rest and drink. But as she got to the well, there was no mistaking who this man was- A Jew! She hissed to herself. 'One of them', she thought to herself. At that instance, she decided to pay him no heed at all. She had enough troubles on her mind for now; and she needed to hurry back home. He didn't stare at her, but he did glance in her direction. Ok, she admitted to herself- brown eyes, thick black hair, and a well kept mane; he does look handsome. But, no. He's a Jew, and right now, she is exhausted .... She pulled her mind back and quickly turned her attention to the well. She looked down into Jacob's well, as she unfurled the rope, and her bucket. It landed with a thud and a splash as she fetched and filled the first of two large jugs she had come with. She was just about to throw in for a second fetch when he spoke.... to her.

He thirsts, she thirsts

Ah! here comes a Samaritan woman. He was truly thirsty and had no buckets to fetch with. So it must have been with some sense of relief that He welcomed her approach as she drew near and began to draw her water. Yet before she came up to where He was, He saw it. She was thirsty too. In fact, she was famished. As He continued to think on this, it became even clearer how needy she was of God's refreshing help and hope. If only... Samaritans hated the Jews, and the feeling was mutually shared by most Jews, so He was conscious of her prejudice against His kind; His race. Still her need for life was so glaring, it could not be concealed by feelings of hatred or indifference. She was thirsty... and so was He. She does not know it, but He does. She would not ask. But now He must. So He steps up and initiates what He hopes would lead to .... “Will you give me a drink?” . He saw it. She was slightly startled to hear Him speak... to her. He somehow expected this. Especially as she had made no effort at greeting the stranger, and carefully avoided all eye contact. But He knew she was not shy.. no. Not at all. He was thirsty... and so was she.

The End.

Stranger alone

And so we come to the concluding treatise on the woman at the well. The conversation awkwardly begins with Jesus a Jew and a stranger and a man by Himself, asking a woman, who was a Samaritan, and had come to the well all by herself, for a drink of water. I pause to note that this lonely, private and separate place is one of the choicest places the Holy Spirit uses to draw our attention to Himself. It is often in such a state of vulnerable aloneness with God, that we can be, and, are more open to encounter the depths of His truth and transforming power that our busy and cluttered lives never afford us. In the book of Genesis when Jacob heard that Esau was approaching with an army, he was terrified in his heart. He tried his schemes and cunning, but they must have felt like used rags. He needed something that worked. He needed a guarantee beyond himself.. And so it was that after sending away the closest members of his family, and all his possession to the other side of the river Jabbok, 'Jacob was left alone, and a man came and wrestled with him all night' 1. This woman came here to get water, at this time of day, perhaps because she really needed the privacy of this time. And so did He, for her sake.

Unusual request

'Give me water to drink'. We often forget that Jesus was fully the Son of man as He was fully the Son of God. He felt hunger, thirst, needs, desires, fears, and other human feelings like every human being. Hence the scriptures say He is touched with our feeling of infirmities, and that he was tempted in every way yet without sin 2. But his natural needs often became subservient to His spiritual need. As such, when I say He thirsts, we soon see that it was not just for the water that man can offer, but for the water that only the Spirit can burst forth. He thirsts for the fruit of our vine in Him. He thirsts for what we can and should be experiencing in Him. He wants to see this Life happen in and to us by the Holy Ghost. Even right now, He is thirsty for your release. He's thirsty for your healing. He is thirsty for your liberty and joy in the Spirit. He is thirsty for your knowledge of God's amazing grace! How can this possibly be? Because deep calls out to deep. The depth and richness of  His grace, cries out to the depth of emptiness and drought, that occupies every soul that is without the knowledge Christ. 

Nothing to draw.. with

Many times we try, like this woman, to assess for ourselves, 'How could He possibly satisfy my needs, when I already have the tools I need to do so, and He does not?'. She had her water jugs. She had her bucket. She had her ropes. And the well was deep! That could be you. Perhaps you reckon you have all you need to deal with the situation:  professional counselling sessions; deep meditations; yoga; some money in the bank or a good sponsor; the test results are not quite good, but the recommended treatment has worked for many, as long as you keep to it etc. But these may be but mere ropes and buckets for a temporal solution. The issues of life are often much deeper than appears to the naked eye. Jesus is willing and ready to offer an eternal solution with temporal benefits. Yet we stop to ask, or say to Him, ''You have nothing to draw with?!" Everything He needs to draw with are already in our hands, if only we would hand them over. Your stress and anger, could be a rope and a bucket in His hands. Your poverty and lack, could be a rope and a bucket in His hands. Your relationship breakdown, could be a rope and bucket in his hands. Your sickness or disease, could be a rope and a bucket in His hands. Your sin and addiction, could be a rope and bucket in His hands. Your wealth and achievements, could be a rope and a bucket in His hands (remember the rich young ruler, 3) . Your present situation...whatever has brought you to this place of private and quiet reflection about life, could be a rope and a bucket in His hands. But first, we must know to whom we speak.

If you knew...

Ever had the pleasure of receiving a call from someone who goes on talking about stuff you couldn't quite place. They sound confident and familiar, but it could very well have been a phone call from Mars, because you do not know, or were yet to know, who it is that was speaking. The human mind likes to categorise and compartmentalise. It's how we learn. It's how we organise our knowledge. So we could find ourselves saying to the caller; 'Sorry please, but who are you? and what's this about?' Then they could comeback with a brief apology, a proper introduction, and a rehashing of what they were trying to say earlier. Now it could make sense, because you are connecting this information to a known or acknowledged source. Everything begins to have some context. You would often find that with an introduction friends become more relaxed, the tone is friendlier, and there is more trust. Jesus thinks it may be best to get acquainted with Him first, rather than worry about how He plans to deal with the issues that surround our lives. To this woman He said, "If you knew the gift of God and who it was that was asking you for a drink, you would ask Him.."4. So, before trying to figure out how He plans to deeply satisfy your soul, you may want to ask Him in all honesty, Lord, who really are you? Because, out of that truth when you have it, you can ask Him anything 5, and it will be yours. Do you know to whom you speak? Do you know of whom we speak? He would like to make a proper introduction.

Life giver

Jesus said to this woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 6  That is His abiding promise for you and me. He wants to give us His water of life. A water that wells up from within us... and abides evermore. All other kinds of water will leave us thirsty again, and again, and again. She came to want such a water. The woman asked Jesus for such a precious water of life, so she wouldn't need to keep coming to the well to draw water. The labour, and stress, and routine of empty religion would always leave us exhausted. But the gift of God always brings relief! Many have come to ask for such a water. But to them as to her, He asks something of us. He needs our ropes and buckets, as it were. For her, she needed to confront her lifestyle, and that confrontation was His rope and bucket down into her depths, not to draw, but to fill her up. He needs yours today. Will you give it?

He knows..

In their ensuing conversation, this precious lady comes to conclude that Jesus must be a prophet because He had exposed her to herself in a very unusual way.  Which is very much the daily experience of all who truly walk with the Lord. He is a revealer. He reveals himself. He reveals the heart of the father, and He reveals when we must make amends however inconvenient it may be. For the testimony of Jesus is in the spirit of prophecy 7. 'You have had five husbands, and the one you are now with is not your husband', and He somehow knew it. You may have been stealing from the common purse; He knows it. May have been cheating on the other half; He knows it. You may have been burdened with a sense of guilt about something you have done or was done to you, He knows it already. And knowing He knows, but still loves you, can make a world of difference in our attitude to a genuine relationship with God. But it would appear that it was not the number of husbands that troubled her, but the lack of one; one with whom she could truly be one. 'I have no husband', she said. 'You are right', He replies. When was the last time anyone told her she was right? But she had to be truthful to this man. And so should you. Vulnerable, honest, earnest... 

I am He...

Still trying to present a religious and self righteous front, this lady shifts the conversation to temple worship, and begins to compare religions. 'We say here and you say there'. Religious comparisons and comparative religion, offer no opportunity for real depth with God. Jesus effectively counters by saying, 'Neither". Rather, those that would worship God must do so in spirit and in truth... 'For such the Father seeketh'  8. This fails to satisfy her as she seems to resign her argument by declaring that when Christ comes, he'll make all things clear.  You could almost see how the conversation that started on an earthly watering hole, ascended to the very throne of grace; right where He could finally bring her to her inmost quest and prayer. She wanted the voice of the Christ to resolve all her doubts. But she had no clue to whom she had been speaking. Yet now, at the crescendo of all their small talk, as it were, He boldly and firmly announces to her weary ears, 'I am He!" 9 Halleluyah! You could feel the fountains of her soul burst open as she weighed those heavy words. Now everything made sense! What manner of man is this?! A while later, His disciples return. They find Him with a woman, alone. But no longer thirsty, nor hungry. His meat had been well served in her fulfilment. And neither was she thirsty anymore; her joy and fulfilment could scarcely be contained. This was water. This was life! This was ...some man! She was running down to the city to spread this joy!!!

And you?...

In many ways, Jesus is still sitting by the well, waiting for the next person... Could that be you? Will you open up to His loving help? He still thirsts... for you. Would you like to know Him? Will you give the cares over to Him? He is Christ Jesus, God's anointed Saviour for you, and me, and all the world.

Prayer: Dear Lord, today, I surrender all to you. I thought I needed some water, but I realise all I truly need is you. I cast every care and burden upon you. Let me know you more, each and everyday. Thank you for making me free. Thank you for this fountain of your life welling up in my soul. In Jesus name, amen.

 References:

.1) Genesis 32:22-24 NIV  .2) Hebrews 4:15 KJV  .3) Matthew 19:20-22   .4) John 4:10 NIV  .5) John 14:14 NIV   .6) John 4:13-14.  .7) Rev 19:10 KJV  .8) John 4:23-24 KJV  .9) John 4:26 KJV