Dear Woman of Samaria,
Sorry I cannot address you by name, for it was never written in Scripture, yet I feel a strong connection, as if I already know you.
What would I do if I was in your place?
You chose to go to the well at noon, a time when the sun’s heat was at its hottest and no one was usually around. Why did you go at this time? Where you shunned by others or did you choose to be alone because of shame? When I look back in my own life, there was a time when I didn’t want to go out, afraid I would meet someone I knew, worried that they would judge me. So, I went grocery shopping in early morning or late night when hardly anyone was around.
When you encountered Jesus and He reached out to you, asking for water, you couldn’t believe it. Jesus needed you? Jesus, in His humanity, was tired from His journey and needed water. If you had just given Him that water instead of engaging in conversation, would that have been it? I doubt it, for Jesus is always inviting us into dialogue.
Jesus knew you and your history, yet He treated you with dignity and compassion. At first, you didn’t understand Him but in time you grew in knowledge and had the courage to drop what you were doing and went forth to share the good news. That water jar, a vessel that you brought to fill, was left there at the well. Yes, you would still need water to quench your physical thirst. But, in your encounter with Jesus, you were transformed into a new vessel that now carried the living water Jesus was offering.
Do I have the courage to do what you did? In your excitement, you went forth and brought so many people to Jesus. You weren’t worried about what they were going to say or if they were going to shun you even more.
Throughout my life, I have always spoken to Jesus and I have sensed Him speaking back to me. But, have I had the courage to share with others, beyond those who already knew Him, the good news that He offers, living water that can quench our spiritual thirst?
Thank you, woman of Samaria, for helping me reflect on my own life and for being an example to me.
Sincerely,
A woman of Ontario