From time to time, all of us have felt the sting of rejection
We might have been rejected from our friends, our families, our jobs, or maybe even the church
Rejections brings with it pain and suffering, the feeling of abandonment and loss
And by no means is it a characteristic that we eagerly look for.
The Gospel of John invites us into another unnamed woman’s life where rejection is a familiar word.
Our story opens with Jesus traveling throughout the countryside of Samaria
When he came upon a well and was very thirsty.
As He sat there, a woman came to the well to draw some water for her family.
And Jesus asks for some water.
Now, this all took place in the 6th hours
Which by the Roman clock would indicate that it was around 6 pm.
But the Jewish method of time would indicate noon.
Kind of weird times for woman to go and draw water.
But whatever time it may have been, there was a reason for it
Our story shares with us that this woman doesn’t have a husband.
As Jesus and this woman are talking, the woman explains that she doesn’t have a husband.
Jesus affirms this by saying that she had 5 husbands and now she is living with a man who she isn’t married too.
All of this adds up to say that she was rejected by the community b/c of her situation, b/c of her sin.
And the pain of rejection from the other ladies and the community drove her to obtain water at a later time of during the day.
As Jesus spoke to this woman who was a Samaritan (now remember that Jews and Samaritans didn’t get along and thus didn’t speak to each other), we see that this woman has faith that the Messiah is coming
She is a believer
And her questions demonstrate her willingness to learn and grow.
And maybe its b/c of her questions and her sincerity to grow, Jesus reveals who He is to her.
“I who speak to you am He.”
I am the Messiah
I am Christ!
And when she hears this, she believes.
By now the disciples are returning from the town.
Jesus had sent them off to look for some food for them to eat
And as they are talking, many people come out of the town to hear and see Jesus.
You see, the woman that Jesus spoke to was filled with the Spirit and she told the other people in the town.
They wanted to see what this woman was talking about, so they came to see for themselves.
The people of the town came and saw
They too believed and they encouraged Jesus and His followers to stay with them.
Here are some thoughts that we could learn from this inquisitive woman.
1. As empty as this woman must have been, Jesus will meet her where she was and filled those empty voids
~Jesus will meet us where we are and fill our empty voids as well
2. Once we have the Good News of Jesus Christ, we need to share it with others.
~Mainline Protestant Christians are good at hording Christ for ourselves instead of sharing Him with others.
3. Never stopping asking questions and striving to have a deeper relationship with Jesus.
~This woman kept asking Jesus questions and wanted to know more
~Always thirst for more from Christ- I promise that you will be satisfied
4. Finally, there can be no conversion without conviction.
~That was why Jesus told her to go get her husband: He forced her to admit her sin.
~There must first be conviction and repentance, and then there can be saving faith.
~Jesus had aroused her mind and stirred her emotions, but He also had to touch her conscience, and that meant dealing with her sin.
