Intro: In the 4th chapter of John’s Gospel the Word of God tells us that Jesus departed from Judea and with a determined heart, with a fixed mind the Savior entered into the land of Samaria. Now, the custom of the Jews was to do everything within their power, to do everything possible and at all cost to avoid such a physical encounter. Why if need be, a good Jew would travel miles out of his way just to keep from passing through the land of Samaria. For you see, the Samaritans both in blood and in religion were considered by the Jews to be nothing more than mongrels. The Jews hated the Samaritans and likewise the Samaritans hated the Jews, and remarkably, 2000 years later relationships in the Middle East between peoples, cultures and countries hasn’t changed a bit. They’re still fighting and feuding, and there still remains a bitter hostility, a strong hatred and bigotry that even today continues to unravel the delicate fabric of what we affectionately call ’The Holy Land’. Yet the Bible informs us that Jesus, with a resolute mind and heart had to pass through the land of Samaria. There was simply for Him, no other way. There were no optional avenues for Him to follow and on this particular day Jesus (being a Jew by human birth) purposely directed His path and the path of those faithful followers into the region known as Samaria.
Now, the Gospel account of John, the evangelist of old, further declares that Jesus entered into the Samatian city of Sycar or Shechem as it is known in the Old Testament, and there being wearied from His journey, and at the heat of the day, Jesus sits down to rest at a very historic monument. A well of water that has long been known as Jacob’s Well. Yet during this moment of quiet serendipity something astounding took place. Something that would for all of eternity indelibly mark The Master’s visit this day to Samaria.
The Word of God tells us that a woman of Samaria came that day to draw water from this certain well. Obviously, she had done this many times before. She came to refresh herself and her family from these cool, life-giving springs. Yet by the amazing providence of God, this dear woman found far more than that for which she had ever bargained. Much more than she had ever anticipated when she set out from her humble home and journeyed to this familiar well. No doubt about it, she expected to find water, but I don’t suppose she ever expected to find enough water to quench the thirst of the whole world. You see, this woman not only found Jacob’s well, but in the process she stumbled all over the creator of this world; and what she came expecting to find was nothing near what she went away with.
Listen to this stirring encounter. Folks, I believe that this is one of the richest, one of the most powerful and one of the most explosive passages in all of the NT. What a story, what a personal encounter -- but wait a minute! Did you hear it? Did you hear what this woman of Samaria did? Did you follow her reaction when she suddenly found The Savior? Listen again (vs. 25 – 29).
Now, why do you suppose that the writer of this gospel would record something so trivial, something so seemingly insignificant and minute as this fact that the woman left her waterpot and went into the city? Have you ever thought about it? Have you ever wondered why in this entire scenario there is found such a statement, “she left her waterpot”? So what! Yet so often we simply read past these words and continue on to what we believe is the meat of the story. But, has it ever crossed your mind, why did the woman leave the waterpot at the well? The Scripture doesn’t tell us so the answers we could surmise would be nothing more than speculation. But imagine with me this morning . . .
Why did the woman leave the waterpot at the well?
1. Maybe she forgot it.
You realize that something magnificent had just taken place in her life. Here’s a woman, a Samaritan in fact who had just met the Savior, face to face! She never dreamed that such a mundane, routine daily chore could deliver such diamonds of peace and hope, and it ’could be’ that she simply forgot all about her intended purpose for coming to the well. Maybe, she just forgot the waterpot. She had obviously forgotten all about her shameful past the ridicule of the towns people, their laughter, the whispers and even the pointing fingers of the other women. She’d probably forgotten most everything -- except Jesus. And you know what, when we know Jesus Christ; when we know Him as our Lord and Savior, when He becomes our total purpose for living then there are some things that we also should forget and run as fast as we can to tell the whole world about the life changing power that’s found in Jesus Christ.
Ill. Several years ago I heard the story of a man who spent most of his life in the honkytonks, in the casinos and bars, in every imaginable dive, and furthermore he was a regular customer with the ladies of the evening. One day, he is met by The Savior and comes face to face with his sin, and with the question of eternity. Realizing his lost condition the man repents and his life is radically changed. Yet on one occasion, while passing through his old "Samaria", he is promptly recognized by one of these familiar ladies. She calls out his name -- he begins to run! She calls it out again, “Hey! Stop! Why are you running? Don’t you recognize me?” He calls back and says, “No madam, I’m not the same man”! And isn’t that the way it should be for us? For when Jesus touches a life there are certain things we should forget and life should never again be the same.
Why did the woman leave the waterpot at the well?
1. Maybe she forgot it.
2. Maybe she didn’t want any hindrances.
The book of Hebrews challenges us to lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily ensnares us and to run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Here was a woman on mission. Here was a woman who had a race to run, a message to tell, a multitude before her and absolutely no time to waste. This was the happiest day of her life. Her sins had been forgiven. Her burdens had been lifted. Her sorrows had been erased. Her life had been liberated. Her honor and dignity had been restored and the last thing she needed now was to be weighed down with a heavy, sloshing, cumbersome waterpot.
Man! Right here in Liverpool, England each of us has a race that is set before us. In fact, its the race of our lives and beloved there’s no better time than now to leave behind our waterpots of pride, of bigotry, of apathy and perhaps even that waterpot of political correctness; for outside these doors a city is literally going to hell and we’ve got a message that can quench their eternal thirst. There’s a race to run and we don’t need anything to slow us down.
Why did the woman leave the waterpot at the well?
1. Maybe she forgot it.
2. Maybe she didn’t want any hindrances.
3. Maybe she thought Jesus might want to use it.
After all, He ’did’ ask her for a drink. You know, it might not have been the biggest waterpot. Perhaps it wasn’t the fanciest, the prettiest, or even the most versatile waterpot around. In fact, it may have been just a plain, simple clay pot that had no distinguishing characteristics or appreciable beauty in the eyes of the towns people -- but it was all she had, and perhaps, just perhaps she might have thought as she was rushing back to the city that Jesus might want to use it.
Each of us has different gifts, talents and testimonies. Sometimes we may even think that our gifts and talents may not be as useful to Jesus, as say the ’Billy Graham’s’ of this world. We may think that there are so many others that are more polished and refined, but beloved I don’t care what you think your waterpot looks like, if you leave it with Jesus I promise you that He’ll use it to the fullest potential and to the greatest glory in His Kingdom’s work. You see, it really doesn’t matter what we give the Master, just as long as what we give is our very best.
Why did the woman leave the waterpot at the well?
1. Maybe she forgot it.
2. Maybe she didn’t want any hindrances.
3. Maybe she thought Jesus might want to use it.
4. Maybe she took the well with her.
Ill. There was once a very wealthy father who had a beautiful daughter. It came time for him to offer the hand of his daughter in marriage, yet this father wanted to select just the right kind of man for his little girl. An invitation was issued to all of the available bachelors in town. They were collectively summoned to the massive estate. The advertisement read, if you will answer this invitation, you will receive either a million dollars in cash, a thousand acres of land, or the hand of my beautiful daughter in marriage and then everything I own will be yours. Well, the young men came in droves, yet upon their arrival to the mansion they discovered that there was one requirement not mentioned in the advertisement. The stipulation was, to receive the prize someone had to swim the length of a certain pond. Well, that seemed simple enough, but there was another catch. The father had stocked his pond with some of the most dangerous creatures known to mankind. Alligators, water moccasins, sharks, piranha, they were all there and all these men had to do was demonstrate their bravery by swimming to the other side. The father thought that if I’m to give the hand of my daughter, the most precious possession in life, I want to make sure that the man is worthy and will be a good protector. “READY, SET, GO!” But no one seemed willing to take the plunge. The father was broken hearted. He turned to walk away, but then, to his surprise heard a splash. He quickly turned around to see one young man fighting his way through the pond. He was kicking a shark, wrestling the alligator, and had a snake in each hand. Finally, the young man climbed out on the other side bloody, torn, totally exhausted -- barely alive, but alive. The father rushes up saying, "I’ve never seen such bravery. I’ve never witnessed such heroism. You are indeed a worthy young man. Now, do you want the million dollars?" The young man answers, breathlessly, "No!" "Well, do you want the 1000 acres of land?" Again the young man says, "No!" "Then you must want the hand of my beautiful daughter in marriage, right?" The young man exclaims, "No ... all I want is the name of the guy who pushed me in."
Folks, we’ve got too many people, too many Christians standing at the edge of the pond. You see, we don’t have just a waterpot, we’ve got the whole well. We’ve got all the power of God and the power of heaven at our disposal, and sometimes all we need is a little push.
Now, instead of taking just the waterpot, if we decided to take the whole well into this community, and even back to our churches, and to our people in the pew, don’t you think it would make all the difference in the world?
Why did the woman leave the waterpot at the well? I don’t know, the Bible doesn’t choose to tell us but aren’t you glad she did?
