At
Jacob’s Well
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On the way to Galilee
Jesus passed through Samaria. It was
noon when He reached the beautiful
Vale of Shechem. At the opening of
this valley was Jacob’s well.
Wearied with His journey, He sat down
here to rest while His disciples went
to buy food.
The Jews and the
Samaritans were bitter enemies, and
as far as possible avoided all
dealings with each other. To trade
with the Samaritans in case of
necessity was indeed counted lawful
by the rabbis; but all social
intercourse with them was condemned.
A Jew would not borrow from a
Samaritan, nor receive a kindness,
not even a morsel of bread or a cup
of water. The disciples, in buying
food, were acting in harmony with the
custom of the nation. But beyond this
they did not go. To ask a favor of a
Samaritan, or in any way seek to
benefit them, did not enter into the
thought of even Christ’s
disciples.
As Jesus sat by the
well side, He was faint from hunger
and thirst. The journey since morning
had been long, and now the sun of
noontide beat upon Him. His thirst
was increased by the thought of the
cool, refreshing water so near; yet
inaccessible to Him; for He had no
rope nor water jar, and the well was
deep. The lot of humanity was His,
and He waited for someone to come to
draw.
A woman of Samaria
approached, and seeming unconscious
of His presence, filled her pitcher
with water. As she turned to go away,
Jesus asked her for as drink. Such a
favor no Oriental would withhold. In
the East, water was called “the
gift of God.” To offer a drink
to thirsty traveler was held to be a
duty so sacred that the Arabs of
desert would go out of their way in
order to perform it. The hatred
between Jews and Samaritans prevented
the woman from offering a kindness to
Jesus; but the Savior was seeking to
find the key to this heart, and with
the tact born of divine love, He
asked, not offered, a favor. The
offer of a kindness might have been
rejected; but trust awakens trust.
The King of heaven came to this
outcast soul, asking a service at her
hands. He who made the oceans, who
controls the waters of the great
deep, who opened the springs and
channels of the earth, rested from
His weariness at Jacob’s well,
and was dependant upon a
stranger’s kindness for even the
gift of a drink of water.
The woman saw that
Jesus was a Jew. In her surprise she
forgot to grant His request, but
tried to learn the reason for it.
“How is it,” she said,
“that Thou, being a Jew, askest
drink of me, which am a woman of
Samaria?”
Jesus answered,
“if thou knewest the gift of
God, and who it is that saith to
thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest
have asked of Him, and He would have
given thee living water.” You
wonder that I would ask of you even
so small a favor as a draught of
water from the well at our feet. Had
you asked of Me, I would have given
you to drink of the water of
everlasting life.
The woman had not
comprehended the words of Christ, but
she felt their solemn import. Her
light, bantering manner began to
change. Supposing that Jesus spoke of
the well before them, she said,
“Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw
with, and the well is deep: from
whence then hast Thou that living
water? Art Thou greater than our
father Jacob, which gave us this
well, and drank thereof
himself?” She saw before her
only a thirsty traveler, way worn and
dusty. In her mind she compared Him
with the honored patriarch Jacob. She
cherished the feeling, which is so
natural, that no other well could be
equal to that provided by the
fathers. She was looking backward to
the fathers, forward to the
Messiah’s coming, while the Hope
of the fathers, the Messiah Himself,
was beside her, and she knew Him not.
How many thirsting souls are today
close by the living fountain, yet
looking far away for the wellsprings
of life! “Say not in thine
heart, Who shall ascend into heaven?
(That is, to bring Christ down from
above) or, Who shall descend into the
deep? (That is, to bring up Christ
again from the dead.) … The word
is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and
in thy heart:…if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised Him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Romans 10:6-9.
Jesus did not
immediately answer the question in
regard to Himself, but with solemn
earnestness He said, “Whosoever
drinketh of this water shall thirst
again, but whosoever drinketh of the
water that I shall give him shall
never thirst; but the water that I
shall give him shall be in him a well
of water springing up into
everlasting life.”
He who seeks to quench
his thirst at the fountains of this
world will drink only to thirst
again. Everywhere men are
unsatisfied. They long for something
to supply the need of the soul. Only
One can meet the want. The need of
the world, “the Desire of all
nations,” is Christ. The divine
grace, which He alone can impart, is
as living water, purifying,
refreshing, and invigorating the
soul.
Jesus did not convey
the idea that merely one draught of
the water of life would suffice the
receiver. He who tastes the love of
Christ will continually long for
more; but he seeks for nothing else.
The riches, honors, and pleasures of
the world do not attract him. The
constant cry of the heart is, More of
Thee. And He who reveals to the soul
its necessity is waiting to satisfy
its hunger and thirst. Every human
resource and dependence will fail.
The cisterns will be empted, the
pools become dry; but our Redeemer is
an inexhaustible fountain. We may
drink, and drink again, and ever find
a fresh supply. He in whom Christ
dwells has within himself the
fountain of blessing, “a well of
water springing up into everlasting
life.” From this source he may
draw strength and grace sufficient
for all his needs.
As Jesus spoke of the
living water, the woman looked to Him
with wondering attention. He had
aroused her interest, and awakened a
desire for the gift of which He
spoke. She perceived that it was not
the water of Jacob’s well to
which He referred; for of this she
used continually, drinking, and
thirsting again. “Sir,” she
said, “give me this water, that
I thirst not, neither come hither to
draw.”
Jesus now abruptly
turned the conversation. Before this
soul could receive the gift He longed
to bestow, she must be brought to
recognize her sin and her Savoir. He
“saith unto her, Go, call thy
husband, and come hither.” She
answered, “I have no
husband.” Thus she hoped to
prevent all questioning in that
direction. But the Savior continued,
“Thou hast well said, I have no
husband: for thou hast had five
husbands; and he whom thou hast is
not thy husband: in that sadist thou
truly.” The listener trembled. A
mysterious hand was turning the pages
of her life history, bringing to view
that which she hoped to keep forever
hidden. Who was he that could read
the secrets of her life? There came
to her thoughts of eternity, of the
future judgment, when all that is now
hidden shall be revealed. In its
light the conscience was awakened.
She could deny
nothing; but she tried to evade all
mention of a subject so unwelcome.
With deep reverence, she said,
“Sir, I perceive that Thou art a
prophet.” Then, hoping to
silence conviction, she turned to
points of religious controversy. If
this was a prophet, surely He could
give her instruction concerning these
matters that had been so long
disputed.
Patiently Jesus
permitted her to lead the
conversation whither she would.
Meanwhile He watched for the
opportunity of again bringing the
truth home to her heart. “Our
fathers worshipped in this
mountain,” she said, “and
ye say, that in Jerusalem is the
place where men ought to
worship.” Just in sight was
Mount Gerizim. Its temple was
demolished, and only the altar
remained. The place of worship had
been subject of contention between
the Jews and the Samaritans. Some of
the ancestors of the latter people
had once belonged to Israel; but
because of their sins, the Lord
suffered them to be overcome by
idolaters, whose religion gradually
contaminated their own. It is true
they held that their idols were only
to remind them of the living God, the
Ruler of the universe; nevertheless
the people were led to reverence
their graven images.
When the temple of
Jerusalem was rebuilt in the days of
Ezra, the Samaritans wished to join
the Jews in its erection. This
privilege was refused them, and a
bitter animosity sprang up between
the two peoples. The Samaritans built
a rival temple on Mount Gerizim. Here
they worshiped in accordance with the
Mosaic ritual, though they did not
wholly renounce idolatry. But
disasters attended them, their temple
was destroyed by their enemies, and
they seemed to be under a curse; yet
they still clung to their traditions
and forms of worship. They would not
acknowledge the temple at Jerusalem
as the house of God, not admit that
the religion of the Jews was superior
to their own.
In answer to the
woman, Jesus said, “Believe Me,
the hour cometh, when ye shall
neither in this mountain, nor yet at
Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye
worship ye know not what: we know
what we worship: for the salvation is
of the Jews.” Jesus had shown
that he was free from Jewish
prejudice against the Samaritans. Now
He sought to break down the prejudice
of this Samaritan against the Jews.
While referring to the fact that the
faith of the Samaritans was corrupted
by idolatry, He declared that the
great truths of redemption had been
committed to the Jews, and that from
among them the Messiah was to appear.
In the Sacred Writings they had a
clear presentation of the character
of God and the principles of His
government. Jesus classed Himself
with the Jews as those to whom God
had given knowledge of Himself.
He desired to lift the
thoughts of His hearer above the
matters of form and ceremony, and
questions of controversy. “The
hour cometh,” He said, “and
now is, when the true worshipers
shall worship the Father in spirit
and truth: for the Father seeketh
such to worship Him. God is a Spirit:
and they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and
truth.”
Here is the same truth
that Jesus revealed to Nicodemus when
He said, “Except a man be born
from above, be cannot see the kingdom
of God.” John 3:3, margin. Not
by seeking a holy mountain or a
sacred temple are men brought into
communion with heaven. Religion is
not to be confined to external forms
and ceremonies. The religion that
comes from God is the only religion
that will lead to God. In order to
serve Him aright, we must be born of
the divine Spirit. This will purify
the heart and renew the mind, giving
us a new capacity for knowing and
loving God. It will give us a willing
obedience to all His requirements.
This is true worship. It is the fruit
of the working of the Holy Spirit. By
the Spirit every sincere prayer is
indited, and such prayer is
acceptable to God. Whenever a soul
reaches out after God, there the
Spirit’s working is manifest,
and God will reveal Himself to that
soul. For such worshipers He is
seeking. He waits to receive them,
and to make them His sons and
daughters.
As the woman talked
with Jesus, she was impressed with
His words. Never had she heard such
sentiments from the priests of her
own people or from the Jews. As the
past of her life had been spread out
before her, she had been made
sensible of her great want. She
realized her soul thirst, which the
waters of the well of Sychar could
never satisfy. Nothing that had
hitherto come in contact with her had
so awakened her to a higher need.
Jesus had convinced her that he read
the secrets of her life; yet she felt
that He was her friend, pitying and
loving her. While the very purity of
His presence condemned her sin, He
had spoken no word of denunciation,
and had told her of His grace, that
could renew the soul. She began to
have conviction of His character. The
question arose in her mind, Might not
this be the long-looked-for Messiah?
She said to Him, “I know that
Messias cometh, which is called
Christ: when He is to come, He will
tell us all things.” Jesus
answered, “I that speak unto
thee am He.”
As the woman heard
these words, faith sprang up in her
heart. She accepted the wonderful
announcement from the lips of the
divine Teacher.
This woman was in an
appreciative state of mind. She was
ready to receive the noblest
revelation; for she was interested in
the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit
had been preparing her mind to
receive more light. She had studied
the Old Testament promise, “the
Lord thy God will raise up unto thee
a Prophet from the midst of thee, of
thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him
ye shall hearken.” Deuteronomy
18:15. She longed to understand this
prophecy. Light was already flashing
into her mind. The water of life, the
spiritual life, which Christ gives to
every thirsty soul, had begun to
spring up in her heart. The Spirit of
the Lord was working with her.
The plain statement
made by Christ to this woman could
not have been made to the
self-righteous Jews. Christ was far
more reserved when He spoke to them.
That which had been withheld from the
Jews, and which the disciples were
afterward enjoined to keep secret,
was revealed to her. Jesus saw that
she would make use of her knowledge
in bringing others to share His
grace.
When the disciples
returned from their errand, they were
surprised to find the Master speaking
with the woman. He had not taken the
refreshing draught that he desired,
and He did not stop to eat the food
the disciples had brought. When the
woman had gone, the disciples
entreated Him to eat. They saw Him
silent, absorbed, as in rapt
meditation. His face was
beaming with light, and they feared
to interrupt His communion with
heaven. But they knew that he was
faint and weary, and thought it their
duty to remind Him of His physical
necessities. Jesus recognized their
loving interest, and He said, “I
have meat to eat that ye know not
of.”
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