why the woman at the well inspires me

in john four we read about the woman at the well. chances are you’ve probably heard of her, the woman with five husbands, full of shame, and spiritually lost.

 

and she inspires me.

 

this samaritan woman knows her place as a samaritan woman talking to a jewish man. in that time, samaritan’s didn’t associate with jews, so she is astonished at Jesus’ intentionality towards her (9).

 

she purposely goes to the well at noon to avoid being shamed by other women and men that could pass her, and here Jesus is, choosing her.

 

it would be so easy for her to wallow in her shame, and not accept the free gift of love; we often do this in our culture. though she is confused, she receives him, conversates with him, & asks him about the living water he speaks of.

 

her childlike curiosity and willingness to be vulnerable and ask questions inspires me, considering this man is supposed to hate her (14). and this woman wants living water. without hesitation, his invitation is accepted.

 

further down we see Jesus ask her to go and get her husband, to which she responds, “I have no husband” (17). Jesus knowing this (and everything else about her life cause duh he’s Jesus ) tells her “for you have five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband” (18).

why this is so important is because historically, all of her husbands didn’t divorce her. they cast her out.

 

this means time after time she is rejected.

 

and Jesus is showing her that the shame she feels is incomparable to his love he has for her. he chooses her. he’s showing her that she is loved, seen, known, and chosen, which I can imagine was shocking to her considering five men had cast her out of their lives.

 

her ability to accept his love after being rejected by her husbands is something i pray i choose every single time i feel this way. i so easily see the shame of the past in front of me adjacent to his incomparable love and choose the shame.

 

i want to be like the woman at the well.

 

being astounded by how he knows this about her, she assumes he is a prophet, she confidently proclaims “i know that Messiah is coming, he who is called Christ” (25). Jesus responds, “I who speak to you am he” (26).

 

her boldness in this moment is incredible. a woman, rejected, seemingly having no voice or friends or even a reliable source of love, accepts what he says is true with beautiful childlike faith. i pray to accept this free gift as simply as she does.

 

then she IMMEDIATELY drops the literal thing that she needs to physically live -water-and runs to go share the thing she needs to live eternally in perfection -living water-with others (29).

 

this woman, who was rejected, ashamed, embarrassed, and an outcast was the first evangelist.

 

y’all. wait. what?!

 

because of her obedience and childlike faith, SO MANY ARE SAVED (39).  the most unlikely woman in the world is used by the Lord to share the gospel and save others. how. incredible. is. this!

 

and Jesus shows up to samaria, a jewish man, the savior of the world, and helps the unbelief of others, resulting in many more salvations (42).

 

her openness to share the gospel opened a door for Jesus to come in.

 

this woman took her shame and traded it for boldness.

 

she traded literal water in exchange for never ending and overflowing living water.

 

she traded her five husbands for a God who never stops pursuing her.

 

her rejection was turned into loving arms, because she chose obedience and was filled with childlike faith.

 

this woman is what i aspire to be. i aspire to be filled with the spirit and boldly proclaim the supernatural life i now abundantly have. i want to be used by the Lord like how he used her. i desire this kind of boldness and vulnerability. i desire to acknowledge my wrong doings. instead of run away from them.

 

i want to run straight to Jesus.

 

Jesus thanks that you never stop loving us. thank you that you never reject us, no matter how far gone we are, or how shameful we feel. thanks that you’re faithful and just to forgive. thank you that you’re enough for me. thanks that there’s nothing i could do to make you stop loving me or anything i could do to make you love me more. thank you for the living water that poured out of you on the cross that saved my soul. thank you.

 

love,

kori