From Hopelessness to Hope
(Part Two)
Text John 4:4-42
In Part One, (see Archives) the reader was introduced to the Samaritan
woman at the well. She appeared, for several reasons, to be a hopeless
case. We left the reader with the thought, can Jesus truly offer hope
to the apparently hopeless? Now, we will see.
“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who
it was that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would
have given you living water.’” (John 4:10). Jesus uses an
idiom to answer the woman’s question. If only you knew but you do
not… Even though she appears sarcastic, He is not. The Lord demonstrates
a genuine concern and compassion for this one woman. He was kind to her
when others were probably brutal.
Jesus, the gift of God, indirectly offers her “living water.”
Living water can mean fresh spring water but means something much more
in this context. (See John 7:37-39, Isaiah 12:3, 35:7, 44:3, 49:10, 55:1,
and Psalm 36:9 and 42:1) He is gradually taking her thoughts from the
physical to the spiritual, always holding her interests and leading her
into new light.
He does have her attention. Addressing Him with the term “Sir,”
(Lord) she shows Him a measure of respect. Her curiosity is growing but
she is still looking at this interaction from a strictly physical perspective.
“You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you
get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave
us this well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks
and herds?”
Jesus could have debated the issue as to whether Jacob gave the well
to the Samaritans and would have won the debate. He was, however, more
interested in saving the soul than winning the debate. The minor issues
could be addressed after the major ones were overcome.
How often do Christians become bogged down in a discussion of the insignificant
at the expense of what is important? How often do we win the debate only
to lose the influence to lead someone to Christ? Is it important to be
correct in our approach to and understanding of the Scriptures? Absolutely.
Is it necessary to feed a potentially new child in Christ the meat of
the truth when they are barely able to digest the milk? Absolutely not.
We should follow our Lord’s example as He takes this lost soul step
by step to the hope that is found in Him.
“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be
thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.
Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling
up to eternal life.’” Physical water temporarily quenches
physical thirst. The water to which Jesus refers completely and perpetually
quenches the soul’s thirst. (See Revelation 21:6)
(A wonderful treatment of this can be seen in the second chapter of the
C.S. Lewis novel, The Silver Chair.)
Even though the woman still does not see the spiritual application to
the Lord’s teaching, she knows that He is sincere and has something
of value to offer her. She was making the same mistake that the crowds
made (See John 6:26) when they sought out the Lord because they ate the
loaves and fishes. It is the same mistake that many still make today when
they act as though our Lord is the great genie in the sky that exists
only to grant their wishes when they rub the magic lamp of prayer.
This woman that Jesus met at the well now hoped for a better source of
water to meet her temporal needs. He was ready to introduce her to a hope
that would meet her everlasting needs.
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In Studies # 4 we will see how this woman takes a step closer to the
realization that her hope rests in the person of Jesus.
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