Samaritan Woman Holding a Jar at the WellBible World
4:8John 4:8
( For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
The disciples had gone away into the city to buy food, leaving Jesus alone at Jacob's well with the Samaritan woman. Weary from travel, hungry and thirsty and without anything to draw water with, He rested there in the ordinary needs and limitations of human life. Thirsty Himself, He asked her for a drink in order to open the way to offer something of far greater value, the living water that gives everlasting life. In doing so He set aside the prejudices and customs that separated Jews from Samaritans, mingling with a despised people and accepting their hospitality, showing that His love and the gospel are not limited by race or nation. The despised woman believed without seeing a miracle, forgot her errand, left her water-pot and brought her townspeople to Him, so that He sowed with one hearer and speedily reaped a harvest the disciples had overlooked.
Setting at Jacob's Well
The parenthetical note explains that the disciples had gone away into the city to buy food, leaving Jesus alone at the well with the Samaritan woman. Their absence sets the scene for His conversation with her about living water, with the ordinary circumstance of her coming to draw water becoming His opening to teach. While they were away she brought her townspeople to hear Him, and His talk with her reached one person who then brought others to Him. Their going to buy food took place at Jacob's well near Sychar, where Jesus was left without their help.
Their buying was permitted by Jewish custom as necessary trade with Samaritans, but they did not go beyond that custom to seek social contact or to offer kindness. Left without them, Jesus rested at Jacob's well near Sychar, weary from travel and from rejection in Judea where priests, rabbis, and professed disciples had rejected Him. He was there hungry and thirsty, without anything to draw water with, showing that He had accepted the ordinary needs and limitations of human life. Thirsty and needing help, He asked the Samaritan woman who came to draw water to give Him to drink, and His thirst and request were real.
The meeting place was Jacob's well, and also called the well of Sychar, where Jesus sat and asked a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water to give Him a drink. It was reached down a rocky, sparsely vegetated hillside along a stone path and terrace, where robed Samaritan women came carrying large upright water jars to draw water. His wanting water for His own thirst opened the way to offer something of far greater value.
The disciples saw nothing in Samaria to indicate an encouraging field and did not see the harvest to be gathered right around them. They thought it a small matter for Jesus to spend His time on one Samaritan woman, a stranger and alien from Israel living in open sin whom they despised, with their thoughts fixed on a great future work. While they were away purchasing food Jesus sowed the seed of truth with her, so that when He told them the harvest was ready the harvest speedily followed through her going back and bringing others to believe.
Christ's Gift and Grace
Thirsty Himself and left at the well without anything to draw with, Jesus made a real request for a drink from the Samaritan woman who came to draw water, and His need and asking opened the way to offer her living water that gives everlasting life. What He offered was something of far greater value than the well itself, the fountain of living waters, the fountain of living water. He did not reprove her for drawing water from Jacob's well.
He showed great interest in the one despised woman at Sychar's well and spoke earnest and eloquent words to her. He was ready to instruct wherever hearts are open to receive truth, and discerning her receptive heart and mind He gave precious instruction privately to an individual. In speaking personally with one person He taught her truths that could reach many others.
In that conversation He revealed the Father and the service acceptable to Him who reads the heart, using no parables and plainly declaring that He is the Messiah. While His disciples were away He mingled with this despised people despite Jewish prejudice, setting aside His nation's prejudices and customs that separated Jews from Samaritans. He accepted Samaritan hospitality and ate food prepared by them, treating them with kindness and courtesy. His ministry at Sychar freely crossed Jewish barriers and showed that His love and the gospel are not limited by race or nation, bringing the message of salvation to people often treated as unworthy. Through human sympathy that drew their hearts and divine grace He brought them life, awakened hope for a new life, and brought them the salvation the Jews rejected.
His work at Jacob's well in offering the water of life to the woman of Samaria fulfills the promise in Eden that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and He continues that same work until every soul has been tested and tried. The Samaritan visit showed that His love for the Samaritans remained unchanged, and it prepared His disciples to later carry the gospel to them.
From One Hearer to Harvest
The woman believed His word without seeing a miracle, welcomed the light, and shared it with her neighbors who received it. She became so astonished and eager to hear about living water that she forgot the thirst of the stranger and His request for a drink, and forgot her own errand to draw water. Moved by earnest words offering living water, she left her water-pot and went into the city to call her friends to come see Christ.
While the disciples were away in the city to buy food, the woman brought her townspeople to hear Jesus. His conversation reached one person who then brought others to Him. Her report brought many Samaritans to hear Him and believe. She proved a more effective missionary than the disciples themselves and brought a whole city to hear Jesus, while they had overlooked the nearby opportunity to gather a harvest. Many Samaritans of that city believed on Him, with an influence for the saving of souls that has continued through the years since then. The contrast shows that miracles alone do not overcome prejudice or make people recognize truth.
The ordinary circumstance of her coming to draw water became an opening to teach the water of life, and she carried what she learned to others. During the absence of the disciples buying food, Christ shared the gospel with a humble Samaritan woman, who received the message and became a giver of living water to others. He sowed the seed of truth with her, and when He told the disciples the harvest was ready the harvest speedily followed through her going back into Samaria and bringing others to believe. Christ reasons earnestly with one hearer, and everyone who drinks the living water becomes a fountain of life and a missionary.
The disciples had gone away into the city to buy food, leaving Jesus alone at Jacob's well with the Samaritan woman. Weary from travel, hungry and thirsty and without anything to draw water with, He rested there in the ordinary needs and limitations of human life. Thirsty Himself, He asked her for a drink in order to open the way to offer something of far greater value, the living water that gives everlasting life. In doing so He set aside the prejudices and customs that separated Jews from Samaritans, mingling with a despised people and accepting their hospitality, showing that His love and the gospel are not limited by race or nation. The despised woman believed without seeing a miracle, forgot her errand, left her water-pot and brought her townspeople to Him, so that He sowed with one hearer and speedily reaped a harvest the disciples had overlooked.
Setting at Jacob's Well
The parenthetical note explains that the disciples had gone away into the city to buy food, leaving Jesus alone at the well with the Samaritan woman. Their absence sets the scene for His conversation with her about living water, with the ordinary circumstance of her coming to draw water becoming His opening to teach. While they were away she brought her townspeople to hear Him, and His talk with her reached one person who then brought others to Him. Their going to buy food took place at Jacob's well near Sychar, where Jesus was left without their help.
Their buying was permitted by Jewish custom as necessary trade with Samaritans, but they did not go beyond that custom to seek social contact or to offer kindness. Left without them, Jesus rested at Jacob's well near Sychar, weary from travel and from rejection in Judea where priests, rabbis, and professed disciples had rejected Him. He was there hungry and thirsty, without anything to draw water with, showing that He had accepted the ordinary needs and limitations of human life. Thirsty and needing help, He asked the Samaritan woman who came to draw water to give Him to drink, and His thirst and request were real.
The meeting place was Jacob's well, and also called the well of Sychar, where Jesus sat and asked a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water to give Him a drink. It was reached down a rocky, sparsely vegetated hillside along a stone path and terrace, where robed Samaritan women came carrying large upright water jars to draw water. His wanting water for His own thirst opened the way to offer something of far greater value.
The disciples saw nothing in Samaria to indicate an encouraging field and did not see the harvest to be gathered right around them. They thought it a small matter for Jesus to spend His time on one Samaritan woman, a stranger and alien from Israel living in open sin whom they despised, with their thoughts fixed on a great future work. While they were away purchasing food Jesus sowed the seed of truth with her, so that when He told them the harvest was ready the harvest speedily followed through her going back and bringing others to believe.
Christ's Gift and Grace
Thirsty Himself and left at the well without anything to draw with, Jesus made a real request for a drink from the Samaritan woman who came to draw water, and His need and asking opened the way to offer her living water that gives everlasting life. What He offered was something of far greater value than the well itself, the fountain of living waters, the fountain of living water. He did not reprove her for drawing water from Jacob's well.
He showed great interest in the one despised woman at Sychar's well and spoke earnest and eloquent words to her. He was ready to instruct wherever hearts are open to receive truth, and discerning her receptive heart and mind He gave precious instruction privately to an individual. In speaking personally with one person He taught her truths that could reach many others.
In that conversation He revealed the Father and the service acceptable to Him who reads the heart, using no parables and plainly declaring that He is the Messiah. While His disciples were away He mingled with this despised people despite Jewish prejudice, setting aside His nation's prejudices and customs that separated Jews from Samaritans. He accepted Samaritan hospitality and ate food prepared by them, treating them with kindness and courtesy. His ministry at Sychar freely crossed Jewish barriers and showed that His love and the gospel are not limited by race or nation, bringing the message of salvation to people often treated as unworthy. Through human sympathy that drew their hearts and divine grace He brought them life, awakened hope for a new life, and brought them the salvation the Jews rejected.
His work at Jacob's well in offering the water of life to the woman of Samaria fulfills the promise in Eden that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and He continues that same work until every soul has been tested and tried. The Samaritan visit showed that His love for the Samaritans remained unchanged, and it prepared His disciples to later carry the gospel to them.
From One Hearer to Harvest
The woman believed His word without seeing a miracle, welcomed the light, and shared it with her neighbors who received it. She became so astonished and eager to hear about living water that she forgot the thirst of the stranger and His request for a drink, and forgot her own errand to draw water. Moved by earnest words offering living water, she left her water-pot and went into the city to call her friends to come see Christ.
While the disciples were away in the city to buy food, the woman brought her townspeople to hear Jesus. His conversation reached one person who then brought others to Him. Her report brought many Samaritans to hear Him and believe. She proved a more effective missionary than the disciples themselves and brought a whole city to hear Jesus, while they had overlooked the nearby opportunity to gather a harvest. Many Samaritans of that city believed on Him, with an influence for the saving of souls that has continued through the years since then. The contrast shows that miracles alone do not overcome prejudice or make people recognize truth.
The ordinary circumstance of her coming to draw water became an opening to teach the water of life, and she carried what she learned to others. During the absence of the disciples buying food, Christ shared the gospel with a humble Samaritan woman, who received the message and became a giver of living water to others. He sowed the seed of truth with her, and when He told the disciples the harvest was ready the harvest speedily followed through her going back into Samaria and bringing others to believe. Christ reasons earnestly with one hearer, and everyone who drinks the living water becomes a fountain of life and a missionary.