City Life Starter

By Joslyn Jayaram

The Word: John 4:15-26

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

In this passage, Jesus is offering the Samaritan woman a chance to get right with God.  He is offering her a new life, new meaning, and hope.  He’s packaged the proposal in this one metaphor: “living water.”  Yet, he can’t just give us a new life with God if we are still looking to other people, responsibilities, titles, jobs, and possessions for the meaning of our lives.  Her response is somewhat correct, “Give me the water, so I don’t have to come back here to get it,” [my paraphrase].  It’s exhausting to keep looking at things and people for hope/meaning/purpose because sooner or later we will get disappointed, again. God wants us to come to Him to get our significance and meaning and purpose so we don’t have to keep running back to whatever we think is giving us those things.  The woman thought Jesus was talking about water, hence her seeing the benefit of not going back to the well.  However, Jesus gently points out what she has truly been seeking for validation, her metaphorical “well”: relationships…  “Go call your husband.”  Sure, she has to go to the well daily to get water, but she was going to men for the meaning.  Failed relationship after relationship after relationship after relationship after relationship.  She was thirsty on a whole deeper level.  Thirsty for love! 

As soon as Jesus points out the truth, the woman remembers who she is (a sinner and lost in a cycle of shame and disappointment) and then points to her confusion about God.  “We don’t even know where to worship!” [My paraphrase].  She realizes her need for a savior and her hopelessness in trying to find one.  And then, Jesus makes it very clear to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Application:  Are you thirsty? Are you seeking something or someone else for meaning/purpose/validation of your life? How’s that going?  Do you find yourself having to go back for more and more? There’s a true solution, Jesus comes with living water.  He comes to satisfy us, to answer our questions, clear our confusion.  It may be painful to think about what we run to over and over again, but it’s necessary to get it out in the open.  We need to realize our need for a savior.  Jesus makes it clear to us too, “I am he.”  Test Him today in this, ask Him to clear the confusion, to end the cycle, and satisfy your thirst.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, You are the Son of God and the Savior of the World.  Thank You for making it plain.  You are He.  Please come and show me where I have gone to satisfy my thirsts.  Forgive me and break the chains of the repetitive cycles.  I want to come to You.  I want You. Help me today to know You more.  I welcome You into this life and may Your living water flow through me.

Amen and Amen.