27/05/2017
2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV
‘So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’
I was intrigued to find out that ‘Jesus Met A Woman At the Well’ is the title of an old gospel song, (1) which relates the story of Jesus met with a Samaritan woman, which occurred in the Gospel of John at 4:4-26. And how this story has mirrored ‘Addicted To Love.?
If we would write a play on this most famous Bible story and the cast of the leading roles are Jesus and the Samaritan woman. And the setting is the Jacob’s well; the scene is that Jesus alone with the woman having dialogue, while HIS disciple went to town to get food.
The long and deep-rooted dislike between the Samaritans and the Jews was the scene that’s ‘unseen.’ The screen started rolling as Jesus, being the son of man, traveled from Judea to Galilee, interlaced with what says in John 4:4 NIV that ‘now HE had to go through Samaria.’ Therefore, Jesus made a detour and went to the ‘well’ and asked for water.
The nameless Samaritan woman also went to the well. She was not only an ethnicity out cast in the eyes of the Jews, but also was a social out cast to her own people. What’s ‘unseen’ is that she was divorced 5-time; had a bumpy love life and was with her 6th man at the time.
No matter it was by chances, or by choices, or due to all of her former husbands dealt treacherously against her, she indeed was divorced 5-time. And after gone through 5-marriage, she still had faith to be with her 6th man, then her addictive personality to love was evident.
It says in Malachi 2:16a, ‘“I hate divorce!” says the LORD, the God of Israel.”’(1) Also having God’s curse for women, in mind that says in the book of Genesis @3:16b, it has always been a trying deed and feeling shameful a cruelty especially for the divorced women.
Gen 3:16 b
“ In pain, you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you,”- New American Standard 1977
Why Jesus wanted to be alone, at the well to meet with this scandalous divorcee? The scripture tells us that Jesus did what the One who sent HIM to do (2) that’s to do what God wills him to do. But as the son of man, didn’t HE have concern for HIS reputation or temptation? Was that drawing water what is all about?
As the dialogue between them had evolved, evidently, it’s all about the water. And it’s to compare and contrast between the natural water that quenches the physical human thirst, and the Living Water that is for the thirsting soul.
Being all-knowing, Jesus knew all about this nameless woman but didn’t reproof her current state of life. Jesus didn’t hold a double standard, as the Son of God to the woman. HE has always been a God of compassion, HE knew that the woman needed a savior.
Exodus 34:5b-6 NIV
……”And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,”
Being all-powerful, as the giver of the Living Water, Jesus reached out to her and taught her the Divine things on high. HE further emphasizes that the Living Water is the Spirit, which would spring from within, and would no more feel thirsty again. The woman immediately said that “give it to me.”
Immediately, with a new spirit, she becomes an Evangelist to spared the good news to her people. No past sins could hinder her of acceptance of the Lord of God, Jesus. Today, the old Jacob’s well is still in the city of Nablus, in the West Bank, hypothetically the play would be a low-cost production, but it actually cost our dear Lord of God everything to send His one and only Son to come down to die for us.
And don’t we all, as women need that drop of living water to live a curse-free life? With no condemnations, and then scripture comes to me as below:
Isaiah 12:3 NIV
With Joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation
1.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SYxW8uCVkU
2.John 4:34 – “my food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work”
Stay Tuned
The Light Of Faith 