Cistern Or Spring?

“CISTERN OR SPRING?”

JOHN 4:1-30

TREY HARRIS

I think we are born thirsty. That must be why they start babies out on a liquid diet. We come into a dry world after being surrounded by water for nine months and I think we must spend the rest of our lives trying to once again experience the safety of being totally immersed in the safety of the water of the womb. This desire translates, I think, into thirst.

Our bodies are approximately ninety-eight percent water. We get thirsty just walking around as we deplete our natural water supply. The human body can live for many days without food or water. But did you know that we begin to dehydrate, to loose our bodies’ natural hydrolytic state in just minutes after drinking water? The results of our constant state of dehydration can be catastrophic according to Watercure.com.

“Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D. - Dr. B. for short - is a formally trained medical doctor who received his medical education and training at St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School of London University. He has spent most of his scientific life researching the link between pain and disease and chronic dehydration.

Dr. B discovered the healing powers of water 21 years ago when he was serving time as a political prisoner in an Iranian jail. He successfully treated 3,000 fellow prisoners suffering from stress-induced peptic ulcer disease with the only medication he possessed -water. This is when he understood for the first time in medical history that the body indicates its water shortage by producing pain. Since his prison experience, he has focused his full-time attention on dehydration-produced health problems in the body. [The article I read on his website claims] his discovery has helped hundreds of thousands of people suffering from a variety of pains and degenerative diseases regain their health.”

Dr. B claims that dehydration of the human body is the cause of many of the common illnesses and diseases plaguing Americans today. He asserts that common ailments such as heartburn, arthritis, back pain, angina, migraine headaches, colitis, asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol can be traced to the body’s lack of water. He goes on to say that serious medical conditions such as depression, Loss of Libido, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy could be the result of prolonged dehydration of the human body. Dr. B makes the incredible statement that: “It is chronic dehydration that causes the pains and degenerative diseases of the human body.”

Jesus had traveled many miles before he stopped at the village of Sychar for a rest beside the well of Jacob. He was hot, tired and thirsty. Evidently, the disciples had gone ahead into the village to buy some food for their noonday meal. While he rested, a woman approached the well to draw water.

“Please give me a drink.” Jesus says to the Samaritan woman. His request is an imperative; more of a command than a request. “Give me some water!”

The woman was surprised. Jews and Samaritans didn’t speak to one another, much less share pleasantries or water buckets.

As is always the case, Jesus has more in mind than his simple request for refreshment. He sees in the woman her own thirst and offers to help her quench it.

The Samaritan woman’s situation illustrates for us our own propensity to seek fulfillment and acceptance in all the wrong places from all the wrong people. You see, we’re born thirsty and spend the rest of our lives trying to quench that thirst. While it’s true we’re born thirsty, it’s also true that only one water will satisfy our deepest thirst.

I want to share with you five “thirsts” the woman at the well was trying to quench with the wrong water from the wrong sources.

I) THIRST FOR ACCEPTANCE (V 9)

Cori Connors tells a story about acceptance from her youth. One Sunday afternoon our family gathered around our big oak table for dinner. Soon my daughter Kate’s laughter rose above the talk. “Gram, you’re silly!” she said. We all turned to see my mom delicately lifting to her mouth a small strand of peas on the blade of her knife. All but one pea made it, and everyone clapped. Then Mom told us the story behind her unorthodox technique:

“When I was little we didn’t have much. It was the Depression. But we did have a table full of food because my father grew wonderful vegetables. Lots of hoboes who had jumped from the train wandered onto our property, looking for a meal. More often than not an extra seat was pulled up to our dinner table.

“One summer afternoon I was sweeping the kitchen floor when my father’s voice came through the screen door: ‘Lizzy, set another plate. We have company tonight.’ Our guest paused in the doorway, and dipped his head in a gesture of gratitude. ‘Looks like he doesn’t speak much English,’ Dad said, ‘but he’s hungry like we are. His name is Henry.’