Lord's Day Evening Meditations February 23, 2003

John 4:1–42

At Sychar's Well

As we read about the Lord Jesus in this chapter, we find that He had no home in this world. He was rejected by His people, as we read in chapter 1:11 - "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." But then John goes on to say, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." He "left Judæa" and went through Samaria where He knew there was a need - the need of souls to be saved. He said, "Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." v. 35. That need is still the same today - the need of lost souls to be saved. The Lord Jesus knew the need of a certain woman of Samaria.

"Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour." v. 6. The Lord was truly a Man here; He could be weary, and He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." It was as a Man that He could ask the woman for a drink of water. When He started this conversation with her, she was surprised, "for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." She immediately saw that this man was different; there was something different about this stranger Who asked her for a drink of water.

"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water." v. 10. The Lord had not come as a judge but as a Saviour, as He said, "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." John 12:47. He wanted to reveal Himself to her but He didn't tell her who He was just then. Firstly He wanted to exercise her conscience. When He spoke to her about "living water," she didn't understand what He meant because her mind was set on material things.

She had come to draw water at a time when she would be alone, not at the normal time that women came for water. Her life of sin kept her separate from people. She had had five husbands and had sought pleasure in sin but she found no satisfaction. Now she had come to draw water, occupied with her cares, thinking only of temporal things instead of eternal things. That is the way of the world; they try to find satisfaction for their hearts in this world, but cannot find it. "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." vs. 13 - 14. Only the Lord can satisfy the heart. Are we occupied enough with Him to be satisfied? Well, the woman said, "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw," but we can see that she was still occupied with temporal things.

The Lord's next statement was the means of touching her conscience: "Go, call thy husband, and come hither." Her answer, "I have no husband," was part truth and part lie. Some people tell a little truth in order to cover a lie, but the Lord knew all about her, and He showed her that He knew all her life - "Thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband." The woman still didn't understand, but her conscience was aroused and she turned to the subject of worship. "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." v. 20. The Samaritans had adopted a Jewish form of worship, but in their own center. Her thoughts were still on these earthly, temporal things, but the Lord raised her thoughts to the thoughts of God. "The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." That woman didn't know the Lord at first, but when He revealed Himself to her, she received His testimony and became a worshipper in the true sense of the word. This still holds true for today. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved," and then you can be a true worshipper also.

"Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did," she said to the men of her city. They knew her life, but she had discovered that the Lord knew her life; He knew what a sinner she was, and yet had showed such grace to her. Her conscience was not only touched; it was enlightened and she began to grasp and to understand what the Lord meant. She immediately wanted to tell others about this wonderful Person that she had found.

His disciples "marveled that He talked with the woman," because they wouldn't have spoken to her. Are we shy to speak about the Lord to others? Do people marvel when we speak about Him? It shouldn't be a marvel to speak about the Lord; we should feel free to tell the story of God's love, and about the Lord's death at Calvary. We shouldn't be ashamed to present the gospel to others. When this woman saw her sins, confessed them, and believed in the Lord Jesus, she became a preacher. "The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith unto the men, Come see a man …" The "waterpot" speaks of duties and responsibilities pertaining to this life. The "well" speaks of the source to which we go for refreshment. The old well had never satisfied her, but she had found a new one - "a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Her waterpot was forgotten while she went to tell others of her new-found treasure.

Can we set aside our waterpots for the Lord? We have duties and responsibilities that we must attend to, such as work, family, etc., but after those responsibilities are properly attended to, where do we turn, to the old well that never satisfies, or to the new spring of joy and satisfaction that we have in Christ? The well of Sychar was in a quiet place outside the city. It is good to have a time alone with the Lord in a quiet place to meditate on Him and on His Word. He deserves our praise and desires our worship. We shouldn't let our jobs rule our lives. As to our hearts, only Christ can satisfy them.

Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him?

Is not thine a captured heart?

. . .

'Tis the look that melted Peter,

'Tis the face that Stephen saw,

'Tis the heart that wept with Mary,

Can alone from idols draw -

Draw and win, and fill completely,

Till the cup o'erflow the brim.

What have we to do with idols,

Who have companied with Him?

Is the Lord Jesus your Saviour and Friend? Do people know that we belong to the Lord? Is Christ seen in us? This woman went to tell the people in the city, and they saw a change in her. If we are conformed to the world, they won't know that we belong to Christ. This woman presented Christ to others and it is a privilege for us also to present Him and the story of His love.

"And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did." v. 39. Many believed through her testimony. Is there enough testimony in our lives so that others could believe? Others believed through the Lord's own Word; they said, "We have heard Him ourselves," for He went about doing the will of God and reaping the harvest. We should be like Him, labouring for Him. He deserves our lives, our time, our all. He alone satisfies the heart as we spend time with Him, like this woman did, outside the city. There were no theatres, bars, or bowling alleys there. Christ was there, and He filled her heart to overflowing.

Read Song of Sol. 3:1 - 4. The Bride couldn't find the Lord, the One she loved, in her place of comfort (bed) or in the ways of the world (city or city streets). It was when she went out of the city that she says, "I found Him Whom my soul loveth." Do we know where to go to enjoy the Lord? When we are found with Him, enjoying His love, it makes us love Him all the more. May we do like the bride did here: find Him, hold Him, and not let Him go. G.F.