Bless the Messes

Jesus was traveling from Jerusalem to Galilee. The quickest route was through Samaria. Know this — Jews hated Samaritans. There were racial and cultural tensions between the groups. The disciples were unhappy about traveling through what they considered a ghetto. Bottom line: Jews did not speak to lowly Samaritans.

Tired and thirsty, our Lord sat by Jacob’s Well and sent the disciples to a village to buy food. It was the hottest part of the day when a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Nobody draws water in the heat of the day unless they don’t want to be seen, and this major malfunction was sick of the disapproving looks and nasty comments. She endured a blast furnace to avoid gossip. Until Jesus came along and blew her mind with a simple question: “Will you give me a drink?”

BOOM! The woman was shocked! In His encounter with the famous “woman at the well,” Jesus broke three major Jewish customs. First, He spoke to a woman; second, she was a Samaritan; third, when He asked for a drink of water, He would have to use her cup or water jar, making him ceremonially unclean. She knew this and responded, “How can you ask me for a drink?”

Jesus says to ask Him for “living water” that leads to eternal life. Then tells her all about her miserable life: five divorces, living with a man who’s not her husband, lonely and shunned with a dry heart in need of refreshment. She doesn’t deny it but makes a statement that must have made the Savior’s heart leap:

“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” – John 4:20

Translate that as: “Where is God?” Holy smokes! A fallen woman is looking for God! She rounds up those nasty gossips to hear what Jesus has to say. Malfunction to missionary in one short conversation. The Bible says Jesus stayed in Samaria two more days, and “many came to know Him because of the woman’s testimony.” Jesus was literally born to bless the mess, and so are you!