John 4:5-26 (NRSV)
Read John 4:5-26 on biblegateway.com
Verse 5So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Verse 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. Verse 7A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." Verse 8(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) Verse 9The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Verse 10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." Verse 11The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Verse 12Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" Verse 13Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, Verse 14but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." Verse 15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." Verse 16Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." Verse 17The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; Verse 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" Verse 19The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Verse 20Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Verse 21Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Verse 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. Verse 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. Verse 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." Verse 25The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Verse 26Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you."
Devotion
The Gospel of John contains a number of significant conversations. At one point Jesus talks about his being the light of the world; another time he speaks about being the bread of life. Toward the end of his life, Jesus converses with Pilate about truth. Today's conversation takes place near the beginning of Jesus' ministry, and it is about thirst and water. Remember the story of thirst and water with which we began this week?
On one level, the conversation here is between two outsiders, a Samaritan woman and Jesus, who is keeping a low profile. It seems the Pharisees are out to get him because of his upsetting word and witness. On one level, the odd couple in this story is talking about common thirst and cool water. But these are deep waters. They are really talking about a spring of water that gushes up to eternal life. Listen to what these two are saying. And take a deep swallow.
Prayer
Holy God, creator of light and giver of goodness, you give us water to drink so that we will never be thirsty. Help us to drink deeply and embolden us to share that water for any and all who are thirsty. Amen.