The Ballestero Blog

Are You Going To Be Hanging Around Here For A While?

The women in town hated her. She was a threat to them all. Not a few men had been smitten by her beauty and surrendered to her charms. She had the undivided attention of more men in her life than good girls would ever dare dream about. They called her bad names and no one defended her. She didn’t even attempt to defend herself. She was what she was.

The fact that just such a notorious woman lived nearby, often gave mothers teaching opportunities to instruct their daughters of the dangers of living ‘that’ woman’s lifestyle.

Wives monitored their husband’s glances when she walked by. Her actions bore watching, because she was good at attracting men.

In her behalf, she didn’t just laze around all day and let others do the work. Not at all! She wasn’t afraid to pull her share of the workload.

She had her chores pretty well-timed. There was only a dirt floor in the house and no electricity. She had to make candles so the house would have light at night.

There also, was no running water, or even a pump. On the outskirts of the small village, there was a well. Every afternoon, she walked there to draw water for drinking and household needs. Without the water, she couldn’t drink, cook, wash dishes or bathe. This was no easy chore. She had to carry the water for several hundred yards.

Today was no different from the thousand other trips she had made, except for one thing. There was some stranger sitting on the rim of the well. He wasn’t good looking, but he wasn’t scary either. She wasn’t afraid of strange men, so she drew closer.

When she got close, he spoke to her, and asked if she would help him get a drink of water, since he had nothing to use to draw water from the well. The absurdity of his request was more than she could handle and still be polite.

“You’re a Jew,” she said. “You want me, a Samaritan, to help you, get a drink?” You’ve got to be kidding me, was her next thought.

“If you’d have known who I was,” He replied, “you would have asked Me to give you a drink. Because, if you drink the Water that I give, you’ll never be thirsty again!

Well now, this caught her by surprise. “Sir, give me some of this water you’re talking about, so that I don’t ever get thirsty again. I am so tired carrying water ever day.”

“Go get your husband, and then come back,” he said.

“But, I don’t have a husband,” was her meek reply.

“You told me the truth. You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now, is not your husband.”

Those words told her life story. How could this man possibly know this about her?

“You must be a prophet!” Were the first words that came out of her mouth. Then she shifted the focus of the conversation.

“Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you people say we have to go to Jerusalem to worship.”

He said, “Woman, the time is going to come, when men won’t be limited to worshiping in this mountain or in Jerusalem. The hour is coming when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”

She said, “I know the Messiah is coming and when He comes, He will tell us everything we need to know.”

He said, “I tell you, that I am He!”

About that time, the Disciple of Jesus came up to them and just looked on unsmilingly and without comment to her. The woman put down her empty water pot and hurried to tell everyone that would listen, just what had happened to her.

She was the least likely in the whole village to inform anyone on spiritual matters, but she just had to tell them all.

Her testimony was short and to the point. “Come see a man who has told me everything I’ve ever done!”

In a short time, the whole village followed her out to the well to see this prophet, this Jesus, the Messiah.

The townspeople heard Him and begged Him to stay several days. Many of them believed.

Some Key Points:

She was a person with a past,

• Yet she was key to a spiritual awakening in the whole town.
• If the Lord could change her life, maybe He could change theirs too.

She didn’t carry her water pot back into town.

• She left it.
• She witnessed without baggage.
• The water pot one of the most import things in her daily life.
• Things that were once important in her life, now took second place to Him.

She wasn’t quiet about her experience.

• She told more people than just her boyfriend.
• She told everyone she saw.
• Her experience was so powerful she just had to tell anyone that would listen.

She influenced a whole town for Jesus.

• Even those that didn’t believe in her before, could tell something had happened to her.

How powerful is your experience with the Lord? Are you still clutching your clay water pots of life?

Imagine what could happen in our churches if we would all put His work first, and leave our water pots behind.

• What excuses are we hanging on to that keeps us from being a witness for Him?
• Could we too bring out whole towns to meet Him?
• We may never know, till we try!
• We may never know, till we put our water pot down!

Excuse Me…

Are You Going To Be Hanging Around Here For A While?

If you are, then would you mind watching my water pot for me?

I’ve got to go see some folks!

Thanks!

Ref: John 4:6-30