The Waterpot At The Well

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.