I am the Woman at the Well.

The story of the woman at the well in John 4 has recently become a story that represents God's redemption in my own life. I've known this story since I was young, and yet lately, God has been using this story to penetrate my heart. I knew the details of the story, yet I'd never really understood their meaning. Clarification: I have never been married, and I have never been a prostitute. There is so much more going on in the story than this! This woman is judged by people based on what she had done, but God looked inwardly at her heart. If you have never read this story or need to be refreshed on the details, I would suggest reading it before finishing this post, so that it makes more sense.

When Jesus speaks to her, she is surprised (4:9). Though she wasn't aware at the time that he was the Son of God, she was fully aware that Jews did not speak with Samaritans. Especially not a Samaritan woman. The Samaritans were a racially mixed people, and the Jews didn't believe in cultural mixing. The Jews, being God's chosen people, had a tendency to look down upon those outside of their race. To top it off, the two groups had a different temple of worship and different versions of Scripture. You can imagine the sense of shame and unworthiness a Samaritan might feel when encountering a Jew. I can almost visualize the woman trying to hide her face, looking away when he initially asked her for a drink of water. Many of us struggle to bring ourselves as we are before Christ because we realize our unworthiness. The guilt, which is meant to drive us to the cross, drives us away because of unbelief in God's atoning work of the Cross. This is a commonality among Christians, and I can pinpoint moments in my walk with Christ where I've also done exactly this.

Her eyes were fixed on what is seen, rather than what is unseen (4:10-14) Jesus wasn't interested in getting H20 from her, he was interested in saving her soul. He wanted to give her living water, that would last for all of eternity. Even in the midst of offering her this immeasurable gift, she sought to connect it with that which she could see. The truth of eternity was not crossing her mind because she was so fixated on what seemed tangible. Disclaimer: I would have wondered the same thing that she did! She didn't have John 4 to explain what he meant by "living water", like we do. She was being called to faith. Although our intellect is a blessing, it has limits. Faith doesn't always guarantee that we'll receive full understanding, but with the truth God gives us through Scripture, we are fully equipped. Faith calls us to step beyond the tangible, and step into the supernatural. As the Samaritan woman asked for Jesus to give her the water which he spoke of, she was beginning to practice faith.

The Samaritan woman had divided affections (4:16-18). She had been married five times, and was then trading sex for rent payments with a man who was not her husband. In her culture, she was shunned for her immorality. And yet, Jesus loved and accepted her. How do we view women who are unfaithful to their husbands? Those who sell themselves sexually? Do we judge them, or do we have the compassion of Christ? An even better question, what idols exist in our own lives? Where do our affections land? Is there something or someone that fights to steal our affections away from God? If so, we may as well know that we are no better than the woman at the well. On some level, we're worse. If we fail to see the depth of our sin, we are also prideful. At least the woman was aware of her brokenness.

She'd rather talk about theology than matters of the heart (4:19-26). When Jesus revealed that he knew about her sin, the conversation took a turn, as she attempted to debate with him on the proper place of worship. What people believe about God and how to express this belief divides Christians to this day. The study of theology is extremely important, and yet, we must be cautious that head knowledge never takes the place of a transformed heart. Jesus was interested in changing this woman from the inside out. It's easy to talk about theology among our brothers and sisters, having an outward appearance of spiritual fervor, while failing to confess our sins to one another. We fear vulnerability. And yet in our weaknesses, Christ is made strong! His grace is truly sufficient for us (2 Cor. 12:9). God's desire is to bring our darkness to light, that He might shed His grace upon us. Back to the story... Jesus, in his kindness and mercy, addressed her question, while revealing Himself to her as the Son of God, thus inviting her to believe and be saved. This is pivotal! Salvation was no longer for the Jews alone, but for everyone who believed in Christ.

Many came to faith because of her testimony (4:39). We all have a story of redemption. Each story looks a little differently, yet each story looks the same. I was lost, and now I am found. I am a sinner, saved by the grace of God. I was blind, and now I can see. Our story is worth sharing! When we boldly proclaim the Gospel and the freedom that God personally given us because of His truth and grace, it is inevitable that others will come to know Him. Every time I open my mouth to speak of God's goodness, seeds are planted. Only He can water the seeds, and yet He calls us to be laborers in His harvest. We must speak of Him, and we must love others through Him. I've gone through multiple seasons of my life where I was afraid for people to know where I'd been, the things I had done, and the ugliness of my own heart. I feared man, and I knew that exposing my weaknesses meant taking the risk of being judged my others. This would then damage my reputation of being a goody-goody Christian girl. What I've learned is that when I freely speak of my weaknesses, people begin to look at me and see Christ, rather than me. It ruins my pride, and it ruins any false glorification of anyone but God Himself. What a spectacular thing! The Samaritans of the woman's town believed because they knew the woman. They saw her immorality, knew how she ought to be punished, and yet she returned to them as a woman who had been washed clean of her iniquities. This was telling of nothing she had accomplished, but a truly miraculous transformation that only the Son of the Living God could do. Share your testimony, you won't regret it.

Any further thoughts or insights on this story? Would love to hear them!