The Overflow

Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Galilee from Judea

Contrary to how the devout Jews traveled, Jesus felt the need to go through Samaria..It was the most direct route, however, because of the dislike between the Jews and the Samaritans, devout Jews would take the long route, and go around Samaria.

The Samaritans to the Jews, were like those people that you mom told you to stay away from..Don’t go in their neighborhood..You know the ones…

The Samaritans were considered half-breed, and religiously challenged (their religious belief was partially Jewish and partially heathen) They were considered unclean to the Jew.

It seems that Jesus has a divine appointment scheduled in Samaria…

Though He had His disciples with Him, they went on into the city to buy food, while Jesus, ‘tired from the trip’, sat at Jacob’s well in Sychar, the city in Samaria

Now we are going to look at this woman that Jesus is soon to have an encounter with…

Here is a woman who seems to have had a rough time…First of all when Jesus sees her, she is approaching the well in the heat of the day, at noon, and she is alone. Most times the women would gather together twice a day and talk amongst themselves as they drew water.

This woman came during the heat of the day, alone, as though she were trying to avoid the other women. We know as we continue in the scriptures, that this woman had been married 5 times, and now she was shacking up..She was in sin and seemingly an out cast, who was downcast and discouraged, an outsider, a sinner and a loner…She was empty and void…looking for something and finding nothing…She had tried everything…She was looking for love in all the wrong places…

It had to be rough for this woman, because you know how people are..The world calls you by your problem, by your sin, your situation, condition and position. When you do something, you are no longer Toni; no longer Mike…Now you are a liar, convict, drunkard, drug addict; the world calls you deaf, dumb, mute, sick, and depressed; the world calls you a failure, molester, fornicator and adulterer;

But when you come to know Christ He makes you new, and even though the world may still refer to you as who you were; you become who God says you are to be; Now you are a child of God; joint heirs with Christ; more than a conqueror; able to do all things through Christ; You are fearfully and wonderfully made; you have been given power; you are no longer empty, but now you are filled; You are now able to do what you have never done; and able to stop doing what you have always done. People say you can’t, God says you can. People say you won’t, God says you will .

Get ready for your overflow!!

This woman was empty, but on her way to excess….she was in a spiritual drought on her way to spiritual overflow…

So here you have Jesus the Christ..the giver of life, sitting at the well resting..When here comes the Samaritan woman…

Jewish Rabbis did not talk with women in public, especially Samaritans. Jews would not use the eating or drinking utensils from a Samaritan…But Jesus asked this woman for a drink…

But how many know that Jesus goes where nobody will go? He will sit with those noone will sit with; He will share His identity with those who some believe, don’t deserve to know; Jesus will identify those who have the worst past; voted most likely to fail; has the worst reputation and situation; Don’t know where they came from nor where they are going; They feel hopeless and helpless; down and out; empty and void…

Jesus will go to the Samaritans in the world and pull them up; turn them around; deliver them; heal them; restore them; and renew them; He will save them; He will give them help and hope; peace and joy; rest and restoration; purpose and plans; He will change them from nothing to something; from empty to overflowing…Old things are passed away, behold all things become new!!

Get ready for your overflow.

Aren’t you glad that Jesus does not judge us the way we judge each other? Aren’t you glad that He does not say we’ve been too bad..we don’t have the right name, the right address, the right friends..Aren’t you glad He is not interested with our degrees and our affiliations; He is not interested in how well we speak or if we stutter; HE is not interested in the seniority of the saved, if you have been saved for 5 minutes or 5 decades..He does not care if your bible is red or black, leather or paperback; He is not interested in what you wear or the color of your hair; He does not care if we are male or female, young or old. He is not interested in the type of car we drive or the size of our house; HE does not care if we talk low or speak loud; Aren’t you glad that “God so loved the world that HE sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever…!!”