For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
At Jacob's well Jesus told the Samaritan woman to call her husband, and when she answered that she had none He laid her past before her that she had had five husbands and the man she then lived with was not her husband, affirming that in this she had spoken truly. Though a stranger to her He knew this hidden history of her life, showing a wisdom beyond human sight that could read what was concealed from others. By thus exposing her unlawful union He condemned her sinful conduct to awaken her conscience, leaving her trembling under conviction with thoughts of eternity and the Judgment when all hidden things shall be revealed, requiring this recognition of sin and of Himself as Saviour before she could receive the living water He offered. Yet His solemn words were spoken with friendship, love, pity and kindness, offering that water of life freely to an outcast stranger and alien despite her open sin, showing that divine grace is withheld from no member of the human family for race or nation or party and crossing the bitter enmity and prejudice between Jews and Samaritans. That exposure led her to perceive He was a prophet and to tell her town that He had told her all she had done, and her testimony brought many Samaritans to hear His own words, repent and believe on Him as Saviour of the world.
Encounter at Jacob's Well
The saying belongs to Jesus' conversation with a woman of Samaria at Jacob's well at noontide. He sat by the well faint from hunger and thirst after a long morning journey, with no rope or water-jar to draw the deep water, and waited for someone to come. When the woman came to fill her pitcher He asked her for a drink, crossing the bitter enmity between Jews and Samaritans to awaken trust and find the key to her heart as an outcast soul.
He then abruptly changed the subject by bidding her call her husband, which drew her frank reply that she had no husband. In answer He spread her past life out before her, reading the secrets of her life history that she had hoped to keep forever hidden. What He laid open was that she had had five husbands and that the man she then had and lived with was not her husband. He affirmed that in saying she had no husband she had spoken truly, and she truthfully acknowledged what He said.
Though a stranger to her, He knew her private history that was hidden from ordinary human sight. That knowledge showed a wisdom beyond human sight and a superior nature that could read what was hidden and understood her life.
Conviction and Saving Grace
Jesus laid bare a life of sin, naming five marriages and a present unlawful union that broke God's commandments, condemning that conduct in order to awaken conscience to the sin in her way of life. His statement was not mere information but exposure, showing a wisdom beyond human sight that knew secrets she had hoped to keep hidden. The laying open of her history left her trembling and unable to deny anything, awakening conviction of sin. With it came thoughts of eternity and of the future Judgment when all that is now hidden shall be revealed.
He required this recognition of sin and of Himself as Saviour before she could receive the living water He offered. Yet her open sin did not keep Him from seeking her. Though she was a stranger and an alien from Israel, He spoke freely with her and offered her that water. His solemn words and compassionate manner showed pity and love, friendship and kindness. In that spirit He directed her to divine grace as the remedy for sin, with the promise that if she was willing to forsake her sins God would receive her as His child.
That pitying love and grace were not limited by religious group or party, nor by race or nation, and shared nothing of Jewish intolerance. Though a Jew, He crossed customary barriers created by Jewish prejudice and treated the despised Samaritans with kindness, courtesy, human sympathy and social kindliness. He set at naught Pharisaic custom, accepted their hospitality, slept under their roofs, ate at their tables food prepared and served by their hands, and taught in their streets. By such sympathy He recognized the dignity of humanity, drew them to Himself, and by divine grace brought them salvation, opening to outcasts of society the possibility of a new life. What He offered at the well was the water of life, spiritual refreshment for the oppressed and languid soul, for the parched and fainting soul, like daily bread to be eaten every day. In this He fulfilled the promise in Eden that the Seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head, a work continuing until every soul has been tested and tried. As the world's Redeemer He knows the necessities of every soul and withholds grace and love from no member of the human family. In Him is a living spring that never empties like earth's cisterns and dry pools, an inexhaustible well-spring of truth and fountain of living water since the fall of Adam, with abundance remaining however much is drawn and given to others.
Witness Bringing Harvest
The laying open of her past made her tremble with conviction and perceive that He was a prophet, and to turn the conversation away from herself she tried to lead Him into controversy over Samaritan worship in the mountain versus Jewish worship in Jerusalem, which opened the way for His teaching that the hour comes when true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and in truth and for His declaration that He is the Messiah. His accurate knowledge of all she had done moved her to tell others that He had told her all things that ever she did, and with joy she went to call her town to come and see Jesus.
Weary at the well, He used personal ministry to a single, humble, sinful woman wherever He found her, dealing with her individually and opening His richest teaching to her because He discerned in her a receptive heart and mind despite her despised standing. Her testimony brought many Samaritans to investigate, come out, hear, and believe through His own words, and after He stayed two days and taught them, she and many repented of their sins and believed on Him as their Saviour and the Saviour of the world.
Though hated by the Jews, the Samaritans listened and accepted Him without any miracle because she believed His word and was glad for the light she published to her neighbors, while the Jews would not recognize Him though He came with majesty and grace in mighty healings and outpouring of the Spirit because prejudice reigned in their hearts and even the mightiest miracles have no effect on such hearts. This proved that people regarded as unworthy of salvation could hunger for the light of truth, and that unbelieving people who never heard the truth have hearts more susceptible than those who have been in the truth and had the evidences of God's work. She shows that doctrine is understood only by coming to the Scriptures with a teachable spirit emptied of prejudice, bringing ideas to the Scriptures rather than bringing the Scriptures to ideas.
Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, who were like old, dried-up skin bottles unable to hold the new wine of His kingdom, she, though a sinner, became a new bottle into which He could pour that new wine, proving His lessons could be received even by someone whose life was sinful. He thus brought the gospel to her and preached to the Samaritans at Sychar, and made her an example of practical faith in which those who hear and believe become channels of living water refreshing others. This conversation preceded His words about the fields being ready for harvest.
At Jacob's well Jesus told the Samaritan woman to call her husband, and when she answered that she had none He laid her past before her that she had had five husbands and the man she then lived with was not her husband, affirming that in this she had spoken truly. Though a stranger to her He knew this hidden history of her life, showing a wisdom beyond human sight that could read what was concealed from others. By thus exposing her unlawful union He condemned her sinful conduct to awaken her conscience, leaving her trembling under conviction with thoughts of eternity and the Judgment when all hidden things shall be revealed, requiring this recognition of sin and of Himself as Saviour before she could receive the living water He offered. Yet His solemn words were spoken with friendship, love, pity and kindness, offering that water of life freely to an outcast stranger and alien despite her open sin, showing that divine grace is withheld from no member of the human family for race or nation or party and crossing the bitter enmity and prejudice between Jews and Samaritans. That exposure led her to perceive He was a prophet and to tell her town that He had told her all she had done, and her testimony brought many Samaritans to hear His own words, repent and believe on Him as Saviour of the world.
Encounter at Jacob's Well
The saying belongs to Jesus' conversation with a woman of Samaria at Jacob's well at noontide. He sat by the well faint from hunger and thirst after a long morning journey, with no rope or water-jar to draw the deep water, and waited for someone to come. When the woman came to fill her pitcher He asked her for a drink, crossing the bitter enmity between Jews and Samaritans to awaken trust and find the key to her heart as an outcast soul.
He then abruptly changed the subject by bidding her call her husband, which drew her frank reply that she had no husband. In answer He spread her past life out before her, reading the secrets of her life history that she had hoped to keep forever hidden. What He laid open was that she had had five husbands and that the man she then had and lived with was not her husband. He affirmed that in saying she had no husband she had spoken truly, and she truthfully acknowledged what He said.
Though a stranger to her, He knew her private history that was hidden from ordinary human sight. That knowledge showed a wisdom beyond human sight and a superior nature that could read what was hidden and understood her life.
Conviction and Saving Grace
Jesus laid bare a life of sin, naming five marriages and a present unlawful union that broke God's commandments, condemning that conduct in order to awaken conscience to the sin in her way of life. His statement was not mere information but exposure, showing a wisdom beyond human sight that knew secrets she had hoped to keep hidden. The laying open of her history left her trembling and unable to deny anything, awakening conviction of sin. With it came thoughts of eternity and of the future Judgment when all that is now hidden shall be revealed.
He required this recognition of sin and of Himself as Saviour before she could receive the living water He offered. Yet her open sin did not keep Him from seeking her. Though she was a stranger and an alien from Israel, He spoke freely with her and offered her that water. His solemn words and compassionate manner showed pity and love, friendship and kindness. In that spirit He directed her to divine grace as the remedy for sin, with the promise that if she was willing to forsake her sins God would receive her as His child.
That pitying love and grace were not limited by religious group or party, nor by race or nation, and shared nothing of Jewish intolerance. Though a Jew, He crossed customary barriers created by Jewish prejudice and treated the despised Samaritans with kindness, courtesy, human sympathy and social kindliness. He set at naught Pharisaic custom, accepted their hospitality, slept under their roofs, ate at their tables food prepared and served by their hands, and taught in their streets. By such sympathy He recognized the dignity of humanity, drew them to Himself, and by divine grace brought them salvation, opening to outcasts of society the possibility of a new life. What He offered at the well was the water of life, spiritual refreshment for the oppressed and languid soul, for the parched and fainting soul, like daily bread to be eaten every day. In this He fulfilled the promise in Eden that the Seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head, a work continuing until every soul has been tested and tried. As the world's Redeemer He knows the necessities of every soul and withholds grace and love from no member of the human family. In Him is a living spring that never empties like earth's cisterns and dry pools, an inexhaustible well-spring of truth and fountain of living water since the fall of Adam, with abundance remaining however much is drawn and given to others.
Witness Bringing Harvest
The laying open of her past made her tremble with conviction and perceive that He was a prophet, and to turn the conversation away from herself she tried to lead Him into controversy over Samaritan worship in the mountain versus Jewish worship in Jerusalem, which opened the way for His teaching that the hour comes when true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and in truth and for His declaration that He is the Messiah. His accurate knowledge of all she had done moved her to tell others that He had told her all things that ever she did, and with joy she went to call her town to come and see Jesus.
Weary at the well, He used personal ministry to a single, humble, sinful woman wherever He found her, dealing with her individually and opening His richest teaching to her because He discerned in her a receptive heart and mind despite her despised standing. Her testimony brought many Samaritans to investigate, come out, hear, and believe through His own words, and after He stayed two days and taught them, she and many repented of their sins and believed on Him as their Saviour and the Saviour of the world.
Though hated by the Jews, the Samaritans listened and accepted Him without any miracle because she believed His word and was glad for the light she published to her neighbors, while the Jews would not recognize Him though He came with majesty and grace in mighty healings and outpouring of the Spirit because prejudice reigned in their hearts and even the mightiest miracles have no effect on such hearts. This proved that people regarded as unworthy of salvation could hunger for the light of truth, and that unbelieving people who never heard the truth have hearts more susceptible than those who have been in the truth and had the evidences of God's work. She shows that doctrine is understood only by coming to the Scriptures with a teachable spirit emptied of prejudice, bringing ideas to the Scriptures rather than bringing the Scriptures to ideas.
Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, who were like old, dried-up skin bottles unable to hold the new wine of His kingdom, she, though a sinner, became a new bottle into which He could pour that new wine, proving His lessons could be received even by someone whose life was sinful. He thus brought the gospel to her and preached to the Samaritans at Sychar, and made her an example of practical faith in which those who hear and believe become channels of living water refreshing others. This conversation preceded His words about the fields being ready for harvest.