Carina Francke
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” John 4:15:
Jesus leaves Judea and travels to Galilee via Samaria. It was known as a “hostile” area. Tired from travelling, he sits down by the well in the town of Sychar. A Samaritan woman visits the well to draw water – alone. People avoid her and, in his omniscience, Jesus already knows that she is someone with a questionable reputation. She is an outsider living on the edge. But Jesus looks at her differently. As with us, there is no prejudice, He looks past our shortcomings and reputations. He sees the person. For Jesus, the woman, you, me and all other people are important.
He asks the woman for water. She frowns – at the time, Jews and Samaritans did not associate, ostensibly because the Samaritans defiled the Jews. And now he is asking her for water to drink! Jesus stays as cool as a cucumber. She believes he is a Jew. Though, he is much more. He is God’s gift to man. He gives living water (
John 4:10) that quenches man’s thirst. But only to those who asks for it. The one who drinks this water, will never thirst again (
John 4:13); it will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (
John 4:14) What Jesus is saying here, is that he is the only one able to fulfil hers, yours and my spiritual needs for ever. Have you experienced this truth in your life?
But she was mired in Jesus’ statement about water that quenches one’s thirst for ever. For her, it meant that, in future, she would never need to draw water at the well again. (John 4:15) Apparently, she thought of Jesus only on a physical, human level. She was unaware that her spiritual life was dried up by sin and that only Jesus with his godly gifts, could address her, and every other human being’s spiritual needs and thirst.
Finally, Jesus plucked a string of her dried-up heart: “Go call your husband and come here.” “I have no husband,” she replied. (
John 4:16-17) An honest confession that opened the way for Jesus to unwrap her whole life up to that moment and speak hope into it. He summed up the essence of living water – it is to worship God. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.” (
John 4:24)
Do you understand this godly truth? No believer can ever worship God in spirit and truth without confirmation thereof by the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, our prayers and spiritual lives are like empty words, blown away by the wind, or like water from an ordinary pit – incapable of quenching the Big Thirst in our lives.
With faith and expectation, the woman from Samaria confessed, “I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When He comes, he will explain everything to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (
John 4:25-26, NIV) When it dawned on her, this unlikely witness stepped forward as one sent. Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to town and witnessed to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (
John 4:28)
The Word enlightens us: “Many Samaritans from that town, believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I did.’” (
John 4:39) Many more believed because of his word. The truth penetrated: He is truly the Saviour of the world. (
John 4:41-42)
Prayer: Father, thank you that unlikely individuals change into ones sent to minister to people. All to the glory of your wonderful name. If you can use me, I am willing to go. I know you will enable me. Amen
Carina Francke
Jesus verlaat Judea en reis via Samaria na Galilea. Samaria was bekend as 'n “vyandige” gebied. Moeg van die reis, rus Hy by die fontein in die dorp Sigar. 'n Samaritaanse vrou kom alleen by die put aan om water te skep. In sy alwetende Godheid weet Jesus reeds dat sy van twyfelagtige reputasie is. 'n Vrou met wie min mense iets te doen wil hê. 'n Rantmens. Jesus kyk egter anders na haar. Soos ook met ons, kyk Hy verby alle vooroordeel, gebreke, beperkings en reputasie, en sien die mens raak. Voor Jesus is sy, jý, ek en alle ander mense ewe belangrik!
Hy vra die vrou vir water om te drink. Waarop sy fronsend reageer – Jode en Samaritane gaan nie met mekaar om nie, kwansuis omdat die Samaritane die Jode verontreinig. En nou kom vra Hy haar vir water! Jesus bly komkommer koel. Sy dink Hy is 'n Jood, maar eintlik is Hy baie meer. Hy is God se gawe aan die mensdom. Hy gee lewende water (
Johannes 4:10) waarvan jy nie weer dors word as jy daarvan drink nie (
Johannes 4:13); dit is 'n fontein met water wat opborrel en die ewige lewe gee (
Johannes 4:14) aan elke mens wat daarom vra. Jesus sê hiermee dat Hy die Een is wat al haar, asook jou en my geestelike behoeftes vir ewig kan en sal vervul. Het dit al vir jou 'n waarheid in jou lewe geword?
Sy haak egter vas by Jesus se water wat dors vir altyd les en dit onnodig maak om elke dag putwater te kom skep. (
Johannes 4:15) Dit verklap dat sy net op menslike vlak aan Jesus dink. Sy is onbewus dat haar geeslewe deur sonde verdroog is en dat net Jesus met sy goddelike gawes, haar en elke mens se geestelike behoeftes en dors kan aanspreek en vervul.
Einde ten laaste, tokkel Jesus 'n snaar van haar verdroogde hart: “Gaan roep jou man en kom terug hierheen." Waarop sy antwoord: “Ek het nie 'n man nie.” (
Johannes 4:16-17) 'n Eerlike belydenis wat die pad vir Jesus oopmaak om haar hele lewe tot op daardie moment, oop te rol en hoop in haar lewe in te spreek. Hy som die kern van lewende water op – die aanbidding van God. “God is Gees, en die wat Hom aanbid, moet Hom deur die Gees en in waarheid aanbid.”(
Johannes 4:24)
Verstaan jy hierdie waarheid? Geen gelowige kan God in gees en waarheid aanbid, tensy die Heilige Gees dit in en aan jou bevestig nie. Sonder die Gees is ons gebede en geestelike lewe soos leë woorde wat weggewaai word deur die wind, of soos water uit 'n put wat nooit die Groot Dors kan les nie.
Die vrou van Samaria het met geloof en verwagting bely: “Ek weet dat die Messias kom, Hy wat ook die Christus genoem word. Wanneer Hy kom, sal Hy alles aan ons bekend maak.” Toe sê Jesus vir haar: “Dit is Ek, Ek wat met jou praat.” (
Johannes 4:25-26) Toe dit tot haar deurdring, tree die eers onwaarskynlike getuie na vore as 'n gestuurde getuie. Sy het haar waterkruik net daar laat staan en na die dorp toe gegaan en vir die mense gesê:’Kom kyk, hier is 'n man wat my alles vertel het wat ek gedoen het. Is Hy nie miskien die Christus nie?” (
Johannes 4:28)
Die Woord getuig van gebeure hierna: “Baie van die Samaritane in daardie dorp het tot geloof in Jesus gekom op grond van die woorde van die vrou wat getuig het: “Hy het my alles vertel wat ek gedoen het.”(
Johannes 4:39) Nog baie meer van hulle het toe tot geloof gekom op grond van wat Hy gesê het. Die waarheid het deurgedring: Hy is waarlik die Verlosser van die wêreld. (
Johannes 4:41-42)
Gebed: Vader, dankie dat onwaarskynlike mense tot u eer verander in gestuurdes na mense. As U my kan gebruik, ek is gewillig om te gaan. Ek weet U sal my bekwaam maak. Amen