“She Left Her Waterpot”
John 4:28-31
David P. Nolte
On His northward journey from Judea to Galilee, Jesus had to go through Samaria. Actually, He chose to go that way. Normally Jews would take a route that would bypass Samaria. But Jesus had an appointment there with a woman who didn’t even know it.
Then she came. She came alone probably because she had few real friends; she came to this out of the way spot possibly because she was shunned in the city. But Jesus was there to meet her. He would befriend her and He would not shun her.
Norm sang:
“She stood by the well so tired and alone,
misfortune and heartache was all she had known.
She looked at the stranger but who would ever think
t’was Jesus to offer her living water to drink?”
After their dialogue about well-water, her marital status and the proper place and manner of worship, the text says, “So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, ‘Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?’ They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.” John 4:28-31 (NASB)
The Samaritan woman reminds me of another woman. Maria was a 40 year old teacher who decided to run the 26-mile Boston Marathon. Both she and the Samaritan woman were possessed with a goal and a determination to fulfill it. In preparation for the race, Maria trained to shed excess pounds, put on wispy, unbinding clothing and lightweight running shoes. She wanted to go unfettered.
Perhaps it is a minor point, but have you ever wondered why the woman at the well left her water jar? She came there to fill it, why did she leave it? Maybe like Maria, she wanted no excess baggage.
I. MAYBE SHE LEFT IT BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO GO UNHINDERED:
A. Water jars were heavy, especially when filled with water. They were also cumbersome and not the best running equipment. If you were carrying a water pot you’d be severely disadvantaged for mobility.
B. We read in Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”
1. “Every encumbrance” is differentiated from “the sin.” “Every encumbrance” has reference to some in-itself-non-sinful thing that impedes us.
a. It might be a hobby or pursuit of some sort.
b. It might be a relationship we’ve allowed to get in the way of our Christian walk.
c. It might be some anxiety or apprehension or worry or unreasonable fear about something.
d. It might be a habit, obsession, or regular practice of our life.
e. It might be some possession we value too greatly.
2. “The sin” would be disobedience, willfulness, selfishness, godlessness of every stripe and description. Sin entangles us like a black-berry vine that grabs us as we walk by if we don’t lay it aside. “The sin” includes
a. Saying sinful words: lying, gossip, slander, off-color stories..
b. Doing sinful deeds: adultery, cheating, stealing.
c. Possessing sinful attitudes: self-centeredness, laziness, spiritual apathy.
d. Indulging sinful thoughts: lust, hatred, malice.
e. Addictions to things that enslave us.
f. Leaving undone the right things we know we ought to do.
C. Can you imagine running a race (or going shopping in a mall, or doing your job) encumbered with 40 or 50 pounds of potatoes hanging onto your back? Add to that 100 pounds of chains which drape over your shoulders, wrap around your waist and entangle your ankles. You’d really be set for any sort of work or activity, now, wouldn’t you? Yeah, right!
D. Can you imagine living a triumphant Christian life all bogged down with needless fears, questionable associations, excessive, trivial activities and then, on top of that, to be ensnared in some pernicious sin? Think about it:
1. On the one hand these are harmful impediments because they prevent our living fully for Christ. They slow us down, bog us down and eventually put us out of the race.
2. On the other hand, they are needless burdens and entanglements because He is the burden bearer and the sin forgiver. We don’t have to bear our burdens alone or to stay in our sins -- another has given us relief.
There were things Maria needed to put off to run unfettered. When she decided to run the race, she knew that the distance would be horrendous. She had to forget that; she had to forget the blisters forming on her feet; she had to forget it when she was hit and injured by a bicycle. Maybe that was another reason the Samaritan woman left her water jar.
II. MAYBE SHE LEFT IT BECAUSE SHE JUST FORGOT IT:
A. After all, she was amazed that this Jewish man would even speak to her, a Samaritan woman. She may have been so engrossed in her conversation with Jesus that she just forgot other things. He had convinced her that he was the awaited Messiah. He had astounded her by telling her specific things about herself.
B. Jesus has an uncanny way of displacing other things when we pay attention to Him. Remember that old song, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
C. In light of seeing Jesus, there are some things we, too, ought to forget.
1. Like Joseph let us say, “For God has made me forget all my trouble ...” Genesis 41:51.
2. With Paul let us determine, “... one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13, 14.
D. It is easy to get so wrapped up in things we forget something else.
1. Several years ago we were in Denver visiting, my sister Bev. She came home from art class and asked Merle, her husband, if he’d already picked up their grandson Jack from school and taken him to work. His mouth flew open, he jumped out of his chair, and feeling extremely sheepish, said, “Oh, no! I completely forgot!” He got so wrapped up in our visit that the daily event slipped his mind.
2. I, too, have had times when I got so caught up in what I was doing that memory failed. On several occasions when my children were small they’d accompany me on certain house calls. They’d be playing with the children of the household, I’d forget they were there and leave them ... or nearly so as the host would always remind me of the lapse.
3. Whatever we may forget, let us NEVER, however, forget the things pertinent to Jesus Christ.
Maria had to forget how far she still had to run and the pain she suffered in running the race. She was several miles from the finish line and she was exhausted. But she had to press on. She was determined to finish the race from start to finish. The Samaritan woman, too, was determined to complete what she set out to do. That was to know more about Christ, and to tell others about him. She ran into the city, but she didn’t intend to stay there. She intended to go full circuit; to finish her course. So perhaps there is yet another reason she left her water jar.
III. MAYBE SHE LEFT IT BECAUSE SHE DETERMINED TO RETURN:
A. She ran into the village saying, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” She clearly intended to return and to bring others with her.
B. She wanted to come back for more teaching, for more fellowship. Talking with Jesus once was not enough.
C. May we have a homing pigeon faith and a boomerang heart; one that keeps coming back:
1. For more time simply to be alone with Jesus, just to be in His presence, like Mary who sat at His feet learning.
2. For prayer time to lift our burdens to Him countless times in a day.
3. For confession and reconciliation when we’ve lapsed into sin.
4. For strength when we are weak, courage when we are afraid, wisdom when we are dumfounded, and rest when we are weary.
D. Some good guidelines to insure our frequent coming back to Him would be:
1. To make it the rule of you life to pray and read the Bible at least fifteen minutes each day.
2. To make it the regular practice of your life to be in attendance at the learning and worship gatherings of the local church.
3. To be a habitual frequenter of times of Christian fellowship in small, informal groups.
4. To seek His face in unexpected circumstances, in the stresses and pressures of life, and to turn your mind Christward in times of temptation and trial.
Maria came to the finish late at night; the other racers had already finished or dropped out. Just before crossing the line she fell flat on her face too exhausted to finish. But she heard cheering. She lifted her head and saw her friends there, they’d put up a crude tape at the finish line and were urging her on. She struggled to her feet and limped across the finish. She ran light, she forgot her obstacles, and she finished the course.
The woman at the well was determined to finish her course so she left her water jar; perhaps because she had such an urgent mission she wanted to go unhindered; perhaps because in her joy at meeting Messiah she forgot it; or perhaps because she knew she would be coming back to hear more. As a result Jesus gave her spiritual, living water.
He will do the same for every thirsting soul, for every parched spirit, for every dry and languid heart. He’ll do the same for you, too, IF ... IF you, like the woman have a deep and fervent desire for Him. Like the woman at the well, perhaps you are thirsting for things that do not satisfy.
Like her, perhaps you have been moved to believe that He is the Promised Messiah, the Christ. Perhaps you, too, will set aside things that hinder you in order to run freely for Him. Perhaps, as she did, you will forget the temporal things and seek Him. Perhaps ...but, it’s up to you. What will you do with Jesus today? You alone know the answer to that. If you meet Him in faith:
Something good is going to happen to you
this very day
Jesus of Nazareth is passing your way
so something good is going to happen to you.
And it could be this very day! PRAY /INVITE
