Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
In John chapter 3, Jesus talks with Nicodemus. In chapter 4, he talks with a Samaritan woman. The stories are opposites. The first is about Nicodemus, a Jewish man, and the second about an unnamed Samaritan woman. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to ask a question. The woman came to the well at noon, and was surprised when Jesus, a Jewish man, approached her for a drink. Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews, the woman was from the lowest social strata. She had had five husbands, no identifiable religion, and no social standing or respect.
No respect that is, except from Jesus, who asked for a drink. She replied, “What’s up? Jewish men don’t speak to Samaritan women, much less drink from their unclean cup.” Jesus said, “You should have asked me for a drink, and I would give you living water so you would never be thirsty again.” She replied, “I like that. Please give me some.”
Then, out of the blue, Jesus dropped a bomb on the conversation. He said, “Get your husband and come back,” and the woman replied, “Uh, I don’t have a husband.” Jesus said, “Very true. You’ve had five of them and number six isn’t your husband.” That’s a strange turn in the conversation. Whatever happened to the discussion on living water?
The woman has known Jesus for only a few minutes. She didn’t know his name, didn’t know where he got embarrassing information about her, and wasn’t interested in discussing her romantic history with a stranger. So she switched topics. “You must be a prophet,” she says. “The Samaritans worship on this mountain and the Jews worship in the temple. What do you say?”
Jesus said, “Place is not important. God is spirit. True worshippers worship in spirit and truth.” She responded, “When the Messiah comes, he will explain this.” And Jesus replied, “That’s me. I am the Messiah.”
What an amazing place for the conversation to arrive at, especially compared to the discussion with Nicodemus. Nicodemus met Jesus in the dark and Jesus gave him a dark saying about being born again. The woman met Jesus in the light, and Jesus told her clearly who she was and who he was. “I am the Messiah.”
Let’s pray.
Jesus, we are the woman at the well. You have come to us, you have reminded us of our sordid history, you have questioned our distorted views of God and religion. We have been exposed to the core of our sorry lives. But in the shock of exposure, you offer living water that calls us to healing and change.
We pray to you, Jesus. Do not leave us in the dark like Nicodemus. Stay with us in conversation until our hearts are ready to hear you say, “I am your Messiah, I am the one who saves, I am the one who gives living water, I am the one who teaches you to worship God in spirit and in truth.”
Jesus, Messiah, we wait for you.
Amen.
I’m Daniel on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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