THIRSTY

Jesus had to go to Samaria. If you look at a map, it’s actually a straight line through to Jerusalem, where He was headed. But Jews never walked that way. They took the LONG way around to avoid Samaria because they didn’t associate with those people. But Jesus HAD to go there.

He needed something from a woman who thought she had nothing left to give. She would be going to the well on the outside of town at noon, when no one else would be there. The heat of the day, keeping everyone else away, was her cloak. 

She arrived and He was waiting. 

“Will you give me a drink?”

Worship always involves giving. In a few minutes, Jesus and this woman will have a conversation about worship at this well.  

You say- it’s only water. How can that be considered an acceptable offering? Jesus meets us where we are at. She is at a well. It’s laughable really, that anything we give is acceptable to Him. Gold is pavement in His Kingdom. Diamonds are just rocks. For this woman, a drink of water was the open door to her heart where real worship flows. 

She was a Samaritan woman… oil. He was a Jewish man… water. They aren’t supposed to mix.

 “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking Me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.”

She thinks- Yeah, right. I’ve heard that line before. She wasn’t going to fall for it. Yes, her heart was thirsty for something more but well protected. She had had five husbands in her past but had finally given up on that kind of commitment. She was living with the sixth man and I doubt that he had her heart. 

Jesus knew all of this, and wanted her heart anyway. He was her Seventh Man. He is the ONE who we are made for and completes us.

We are made to worship. We will always pursue something and put it in the place of highest value in our lives. It may be ourselves and our plans. It may be our children or our family or our friendships. It may be our success or our money, our reputation or our status. Perhaps it’s adventure or excitement, or solitude. But everyone has something.

This woman had tried men. 

“Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”

Nothing

no person, no child, no family, 

no job, no hobby, no game, no club, 

no drug, no drink, no dream, no god

has a never-ending satisfaction

but Jesus. 

She is drawn into the conversation and it turns to worship. I’m amazed at that. She had come to the well hoping not to see anyone- shame had hardened her heart into a protection that kept others out. But there was a deep place in her that was crying out for deep relief. It was parched, panging, and thirsty for what could fill it with good- for good. 

It was the place of worship. 

Jesus answers her cry:

“This is the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship.” 

Wait, what?

You want me? Thirsty me? Messed up me? You will accept a drink, worship, from me?

He’s not looking for perfection from you. He’s not looking for your performance. You don’t have to hide who you are from Him. Are you hurt? Are you jaded? Are you angry with questions of why? Are you sad? Are you lonely? Do you feel lost? The Father is LOOKING for you and He will accept whatever you can give that is pure, that is really you.

When the disciples finally caught up with Jesus, they were shocked to find him there with her. They didn’t get it. We don’t always see from the outside what Jesus is doing on the inside of a person. He will go where we don’t want to go. He sees what needs to be seen. He will say exactly what needs to be said. He will compassionately and passionately love everyone because everyone needs to be loved.

The Samaritan woman leaves the well without water, her pot left behind, her thirst quenched. She has had a taste of living water, life itself. An internal well has sprung up! She needs that old life no longer. She runs to the town and tells everyone- the people she was hiding from- about Jesus. She needs to hide no longer. 

Will you give Jesus a drink? Will you give Him the place where you are thirsty?

Will you give Him your worship today?  You will never thirst again. 

*All quotes from John 4 MSG