The Man At The Well
From our Sunday School days, many of us can remember the familiar story of the woman at the well. Some of us can remember the bare facts of her story. We can remember that she was a woman of Samaria, and that the Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans since they were a half breed people, descendents from people brought into the land after the tribes of the North had been led off into captivity by the Assyrians. We remember how she encountered Jesus at the well, and some of the things that resulted from that conversation.
But today we are not going to focus specifically on the woman at the well, but on the man at the well. If there had not been a man at the well, we would not have heard of the woman at the well. Jesus is the man at the well. Let us look at this passage chiefly from the perspective of Jesus, the man at the well.
Jesus and his disciples were in Judea around Jerusalem. But now they are going back home up to Galilee in the North. Jerusalem is in the south of the land; Galilee is in the North. It is interesting that verse 3 in our passage says that they had to go through Samaria. This is significant because most Jews who journeyed from Judea to Galilee would bypass Samaria and take a longer route to get to Galilee, although the Samaritan route was the shorter. Because of their disdain and dislike for the Samaritans the Jews would take a longer route. They would go out of their way just to avoid coming in contact with the Samaritans. In fact, I can imagine some of the disciples might have reminded Jesus that Jews normally avoided going through Samaria.
But Jesus never goes out of his way to avoid anyone. He may go out of his way to meet someone. But he never goes out of his way to avoid someone. Jesus had to go through Samaria because he sensed that someone there needed him. Sometimes we will go out of our way to avoid coming in contact with someone. So when we see them coming we will go the other way. We may say that she talks too long and I don’t have time to be bothered with her today.
But Jesus always has time to be concerned about us. If we need him, he is always there. Or we may say that person gets on my last nerve. I can’t be bothered with him today. We feel better off if we just avoid them. But nobody is too difficult for Jesus to get along with. Nobody gets on his nerves. He comes right where you are. He is always available.
Sometimes we may do things that disturb Jesus. But those things don’t prevent him from coming to our aid. He looks beyond our faults and sees our needs.
So he and the disciples get to the well in a town of Samaria called Sychar. Jesus stays at the well while the disciples go into town to buy some food. The Bible says Jesus was weary, so he stopped by the well to rest. Jesus is the man at the well.
We need to remember that although Jesus was divine, the Son of God, God in the flesh, he was also human, completely human as well as completely divine. In his humanity he could be weary and tired. Jesus knows all about the human experience. That’s why we can relate to him, and he can relate to us. He knows every thing we are going through. He has been there and done that himself. Jesus knows all about us.
But while he was at the well and after the disciples had gone to town to buy food, here comes a Samaritan woman to the well to draw some water. I would like for us to notice that Jesus was already at the well when the woman came. He didn’t meet the woman at the well. She met him at the well. Jesus is already at the wells of our need. When we get to the difficult places in life we find that Jesus is already there. Sometimes we sing the song that asks for Jesus to come by here. But in reality, Jesus Christ has already come by here. He is right there waiting for us as we come to him with our needs and our concerns. Jesus is the man who is already at the well. We don’t need to wait from him to come; he is already there.
But now Jesus strikes up a conversation with the woman. He says, “Give me water to drink.” We might ask the question as to why Jesus asked the woman to give him some water. The simple physical answer would be that he was thirsty. But there is more to this than meets the eye. It was unusual for a Jew, especially a rabbi, to talk freely to a woman. This woman had two strikes against her. She was a woman and then she was a Samaritan woman. In fact, the woman herself remarks at how unusual this is.
She says, “How come that you, a Jew, ask a drink from me, a woman of Samaria, for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans?” Most Jews would have rather died of thirst than to ask a Samaritan for a drink.
But Jesus is no respecter of persons. Jesus is not concerned with your ethnic background. Jesus doesn’t care who your mother and father were. Jesus doesn’t care what part of town you live in. You can live on Sugar Hill or on the other side of the railroad tracks. Jesus doesn’t care what kind of job you have. You can be a ditch digger or a diplomat. It doesn’t make any difference to Jesus. You can be a janitor or a judge. It doesn’t make any difference to Jesus. Your status in the community doesn’t make any difference to Jesus. You can be a pauper or a millionaire. It doesn’t make any difference to Jesus. It doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive. You can drive a Chevy or a Cadillac. It doesn’t matter what kind of house you live in. You can live in a bungalow or a mansion on the hilltop. Jesus loves us and cares for us just because of who we are. He loves each and every one of us just as we are. You can’t be too down and out for Jesus to come see about you. Jesus doesn’t care how far down we are on the social ladder of the community. He stooped low to bring us up. He humbled himself to be our friend in the time of need. He came to make contact with the lost and the least.
There is only one criteria you need for Jesus to contact you. He comes to those who need him. If you need him, he’s right there for you. Some of us need Jesus and don’t realize it. But he is there in the midst of our confusion and doubt.
In fact, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter in his next statement to the woman. He knows what this woman needs before she asks it. He says, “If you knew the gift of God and who has asked you to give him a drink, you would have asked him. And he would give you the living water.”
In other words, Jesus is saying that she should have asked him for water. He had the water that she needed, even though she was unaware of it. Jesus is the man at the well who can give you water from the well.
But the woman misunderstands the quality of the water that Jesus is offering her. She is thinking of physical water. But Jesus is speaking of spiritual water. She is thinking of temporary water. But he is talking about eternal waters.
These two levels of their understanding are identified in her next statement. She says, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep, where are you going to get the water from? Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?”
Now in this statement the woman has illustrated three levels of misunderstanding. Jesus did not need a bucket to draw the water that he was talking about. To draw water from this well, one did need some buckets to dip into the well to draw water out. Somebody had to dip the bucket in the well and draw the water out.
But Jesus did not need buckets of human endeavor to accomplish his purpose. He does not need to plunge a bucket of human endeavor down into the worldly wells of life. The source of his water came from above. God brings waters of blessing upon us from above. The water Jesus could give the woman did not come from the bottom of Jacob’s well. The water he wanted to give her came from heaven. Jesus had a source of water which she could not see. The waters of this world cannot satisfy the thirst of a human soul. The things of this earth cannot satisfy, for they will soon pass away.
But the things that really count come from above, things like love, mercy, peace, joy, and grace. The source of the water Jesus wanted to give her came from above. The living water Jesus gives results in eternal life and an abundant life here and now. The woman was wrong about the source of the water.
But she was also wrong about the depth of the well. She thought the well was too deep for Jesus. But the well is not too deep for Jesus. Some of us fall into the same trap that the woman did. The well is not too deep for Jesus. We limit what God can do in our lives. God wants to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think. There is nothing too hard for God to do. Someone wrote a book entitled, Your God is Too Small. Some people limit their own blessings because they think the well is too deep for Jesus. They miss out on what God has in store for them. The well is not too deep for Jesus to bring forth waters of love, streams of mercy, fountains of purity, rivers of peace, pools of joy, ponds of grace, and oceans of blessings. We settle for less than what God intends for us because we think the well is too deep for Jesus.
But the woman showed another misunderstanding of Jesus when she said, “Are you greater than Jacob, the one who gave us the well?” But the answer is that Jesus is the greatest. He is greater than Jacob and all the patriarchs of the Bible. The man at the well was greater than Jacob who dug the well. Jesus is the great I am. Jesus is from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Jacob was a man with sin. But Jesus is the man without sin. Jacob had to ask to be forgiven. But Jesus can offer forgiveness. Jacob could dig a physical well. But Jesus could dig a spiritual well. Jacob’s well has run out of water now. But Jesus’ well is still giving water for the thirsty soul. Jacob’s well is gone. But Jesus’ well is still here. Jesus is greater than Jacob.
Then the conversation with the man at the well continues. Jesus says, “Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting joy.” Then the woman said, “Give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come here to draw.”
Again, they are talking on two levels of understanding. Jesus is talking about spiritual water which brings everlasting life. She is talking about water from the well which will last so she won’t have to keep coming to the well to draw. The woman is asking for something which she does not understand. She is asking for something she needs, but doesn’t understand what she is asking. She was speaking of physical water, but what she was really asking for was spiritual water. She was asking for physical water which would satisfy her thirsty throat. But she was really asking for eternal water which would satisfy her thirsty soul.
Jesus can give us more than we ask for. We ask for something we want. But Jesus wants to give us something we need. We ask for something to satisfy us for a day. But Jesus wants to give us something which will last a life time. We ask for something to be used temporarily. But Jesus wants to give us something that will last forever. We don’t know what we are asking for. But Jesus knows what we need before we even ask. Jesus gives us what we need anyhow, even though our asking has been out of line with what he wants to give us. He knows what is best for us. In his providence and knowledge, he gives us just what we need. Sometimes we don’t know what to pray for, but the Spirit intercedes for us and translates to God just what our needs are. The Spirit is the interpreter, so that our prayer needs get through to God.
Then the conversation between the woman and the man at the well continue. Jesus says to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” Now I don’t believe Jesus asked her to bring her husband to condemn her. Jesus did this to convince her of her need. She says, “I have no husband.” Jesus replies that she has had 5 husbands and the one she has now is not her husband.
Now the traditional explanation about this woman has been that she was promiscuous, going from man to man, sleeping around. However, Jesus said she had had five husbands. In those days, a woman could not divorce a husband. It was always the man who divorced his wife. If these were 5 legitimate husbands, it meant that 5 men had put her out. We don’t know why they had put her out. But for some reason she had been rejected by 5 men.
The woman had come to the well around noon time, which was unusual. Most people came to the well in the evening when it was cooler. But perhaps she came to the well when it was more likely that few people would be there. She might have been the subject of gossip by the women of the town. Perhaps they would whisper about her behind her back. That could be the reason she came to the well at this unusual time. But regardless of the particulars of her situation, she was in need. Rejected by 5 men for some reason or the other, she probably had a low self esteem. Ridiculed and gossiped about by the town people, she felt ostracized and isolated. She needed Jesus. Jesus knew her situation. He knew all about her. This man at the well had x-ray vision. He could see deep down into the recesses of her heart and life. He knew every thing she had done and why she had done it. There is nothing that can be kept secret from Jesus. We are open and naked before him. There are some things about ourselves that no one knows except us. There are some things about you that your husband or wife or closest friend does not know. There is a door or a closet behind which we can hide all our secrets. But we can keep no secrets from God. He knows all about us. We might as well come clean and confess our sins to God because he knows all about them anyway. The things we do in the dark, God sees in the light. God discerns our thoughts. He is acquainted with all our ways.
Because the woman saw that Jesus knew all about her, she perceived that he must be some kind of prophet. She couldn’t quite make out what this man at the well was all about. But she knew there was something unusual about him. There was something about him which she could not explain. Her opinion of him had advanced quite a bit since he first spoke to her. She doesn’t understand it all now. But she knows there is something unusual about Jesus.
Then the conversation centers on worship, where and how to worship God. The Samaritans worshipped in a different place from the Jews. Jesus told her that the time was coming when it would be immaterial where God was worshipped. But those who worshipped him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
That time has now come. God is not so much concerned as to where we worship, but how we worship. The Roman Catholics say you must worship God this way. You have to come to mass every Sunday. You have to come to confession. There are so many rules and regulations to follow. But some Protestants say you have to worship God in their way. Some churches say unless you have spoken in tongues, lifted your hands in praise, and shouted in the pews, you have not worshipped God. If you want to worship God you have to go to them.
But other churches say you must worship God our way. You should be dignified about your worship. The service should be so quiet that you can hear a mouse sneeze. It doesn’t matter where you worship, but you must worship in spirit and in truth. You must be sincere about your worship. Worship is no time to play games. You must worship God in the spirit, because God is a spirit. You must worship in truth because Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. If you go somewhere where Jesus Christ is not worshipped and lifted up, forget about it. True worship must be in the name of Jesus Christ. He says where two or three are gathered together in his name, there he is. You can have a gathering of 5000 people, but if Jesus is not there, forget about it. But you can have a group of two or three, and if Jesus is there, we are blessed.
From what the man at the well is saying, the woman gets a further inkling of who he might be. And she brings up the subject of the coming of the Messiah, which was a hope of the Jews and the Samaritans. She says that when Messiah, the Christ comes he will tell us all things. Jesus says, “I that speak to you am he.” The man at the well identifies himself.
Many times particularly in the gospel of Mark, Jesus told people not to tell anybody who is was. In the gospel of Mark, it is called the Messianic Secret. But when it came to this woman of Samaria, there was no secret as to who Jesus was. And if we have a sincere desire and need from Jesus, he will reveal himself to us.
Jesus tells us who he is. He says, I am the bread of life. I am the living water. I am the light of the world. I am the good shepherd. I am the door. I am the Son of God. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. I am the resurrection. I and the Father are one. I am He.
Everybody ought who Jesus is. Everybody ought to know that He’s the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star. Everybody ought to know that he is a way out of no way. Everybody ought to know that he is a bridge over troubled waters. Everybody ought to know that he is an anchor for your soul. Everybody ought that he is a rock in a weary land. Everybody ought to know that he’s a shelter in the time of storm. Everybody ought to know who this man at the well is.
And then around this time, the disciples came back from town and wondered why Jesus was taking up his time with a woman like this. But in the meantime, the woman left her waterpot and went back into town, telling everybody to come see a man at the well. Come see a man at the well who told me everything about myself. Come see a man who is different from anyone I ever saw. Could this be the Christ? Come to the well and check him out. I am convinced that there is something different about him. Come and check him out for yourself. Come and see the man at the well.
We need to tell somebody to come see the man at the well. There is something about that man that is mighty fine. There is something different about this man at the well. There is something you ought to check out about the man at the well. Come see a man at the well. The man at the well has some different water. The man at the well has some water that is good for your soul. You ought to come and check out the water he can give you. If you are thirsty you ought to come to the man at the well. He will give water for your thirsty soul. He will give you water from a well that will never run dry. He will give you water so that you will never thirst again. Won’t you come to the man at the well and try his water? Come to the man at the well and find out for yourself.
If that woman was still alive, she would say the same thing she said to the people in town. Come to the man at the well and find water for your thirsty soul. Come everybody who is thirsty and you will find water for your souls. You will find water at the well that will satisfy your thirsty soul.
The prophet Isaiah cried out many years ago, “Ho everyone that thirsteth, come to the waters and you who have no money, come buy and eat.” Come to the man at the well and drink from his waters. There’s water at his well: waters of forgiveness, waters of peace, waters of comfort, waters of healing, waters of grace, waters of mercy, waters of joy, waters of life. The man at the well has all the water you need.
But I can imagine that when the woman of Samaria went back home to her boy friend, he asked her, “Where’s the water, baby? I sent you a long time ago to get some water. Where is the water? You don’t even have the waterpot with you. Where have you been and where is the water?”
I can imagine she answered and said, “Honey, you won’t believe what happened to me at the well.”
“Say what?”
“I met a man at the well who has changed my life. I met a man at the well who gave me some water for my thirsty soul. I met a man at the well who gave me a new reason for living. A great change has come over my life since I met the man at the well. I don’t feel bad about myself anymore. I feel good about my self now. I don’t feel like giving up anymore. I feel like going on a little while longer. I don’t feel don’t feel down in the dumps anymore. I feel the joy bells ringing in my soul. Since I met the man at the well I feel alright now. I’m sorry that I didn’t bring the water back. But I’ve got a different kind of water in my life. I’ve got water that revives my soul. I’ve got water that brings peace of mind. I’ve got water that satisfies my inner longings. I feel alright since I received water from the man at the well.”
We too can find that water that the man at the well wants us to have. The voice of Jesus says to us, “Behold, I freely give the living water, thirsty one, stoop down, and drink and live.”
I don’t know about you. But one day I met the man at the well for myself. If it had not been for the man at the well, I don’t know what I would have done. I’ve lost 3 wives through death, two of them in less than 4 years, tossed out of the house by my stepdaughter on the same night my wife died back in February of this year. I didn’t know where I was going to lay my head that night.
If it hadn’t been for the man at the well, I don’t know what I would have done. But the man at the well came to see about me in my heart-broken state.
The man at the well knew what I was going through. Both of us have suffered sorrow and are acquainted with grief. I’ve known sorrow and am well acquainted with grief.
I provided for my second wife for 5 years as she suffered with Lou Gehrig’s disease until she could only blink her eyes before she died. I’ve known sorrow and am well acquainted with grief. I was only married three years when my third wife was stricken with lung cancer.
Can you find me a man who has lost three wives through death? I haven’t found one yet. I’m not one of those preachers who ain’t been through nothing. I’ve been through the fire, and the flame. I’ve been through the flood and the storm.
I’m by myself now. But I am not alone. The man at the well comes to see about me. He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am his own.
I’ve known him for a long time. I came to him a long time ago. I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life giving stream. My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now, right now, I live in Him. All because of the man at the well.
Have you met the man at the well?
