Her day began as just another ordinary and boring day in the life of a woman who lived in a village on the outskirts of town. The sun was high and the sand was hot beneath her feet as she paced herself to the well as she had done a thousand times before.
Once there, however, she thought about all the people looking down their noses at her as she was looking down at her bucket at the bottom of the well.
Why, then, should this day be any different than all the other days before?
For even she knew more about herself than others knew about their own souls. And there they were, as usual, looking out their doors and windows and down their long noses as she was at the well, all alone, and without a friend in the world.
She knew she was not "most popular" of her senior class, just as she knew she would never be considered to be the homecoming queen, which would include a ride in a convertible in the homecoming parade in the city. She had been there, too, many times, but always hidden in the crowd, for nobody wanted her there as well. Not her. Not this woman.
Then one day a stranger come to town, a man that nobody knew. Not even she knew this man, nor from whence he came. He was suddenly there and at the well and talked with her as if he had known her all of her life.
To her, however, the stranger did not appear to be a man of great wealth. He had no camel, no bag for personal essentials, and he had no jingle in his pockets. Neither did he ask for directions to the frequent spots in the city.
Instead, he simply sat down and talked with her---with no intention of expecting anything more.
And for the first time in her life, she began to think of herself as a respectable lady, and not a tramp.
The stranger also arrived at high noon: that time of day when people have been known to lose their minds in heat such as this. But not this man. This man was different. This man treated her with dignity and kindness.
"Give me to drink," he said to her.
"How is it that thou, being a Jew, asketh drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."
"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."
"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 the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?"
"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 unto everlasting life."
"Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw."
"Go, call thy husband, and come hither."
"I have no husband."
"Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that sadst thou truly."
"Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."
"Woman, 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 salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is Spirit: and they that worship him worship him in spirit and in truth."
"I perceive that Mes-si-as cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us these things.
"I that speak unto thee am he."
And after the stranger had spoken these things to her, she left her waterpot and went to the city, saying, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that I ever did: is not this the Christ?"
Then they went with her to meet Christ, the stranger, and the Lord abode with them two more days.
(story from the Gospel of John, chapter 4, verses 7-40)
Once there, however, she thought about all the people looking down their noses at her as she was looking down at her bucket at the bottom of the well.
Why, then, should this day be any different than all the other days before?
For even she knew more about herself than others knew about their own souls. And there they were, as usual, looking out their doors and windows and down their long noses as she was at the well, all alone, and without a friend in the world.
She knew she was not "most popular" of her senior class, just as she knew she would never be considered to be the homecoming queen, which would include a ride in a convertible in the homecoming parade in the city. She had been there, too, many times, but always hidden in the crowd, for nobody wanted her there as well. Not her. Not this woman.
Then one day a stranger come to town, a man that nobody knew. Not even she knew this man, nor from whence he came. He was suddenly there and at the well and talked with her as if he had known her all of her life.
To her, however, the stranger did not appear to be a man of great wealth. He had no camel, no bag for personal essentials, and he had no jingle in his pockets. Neither did he ask for directions to the frequent spots in the city.
Instead, he simply sat down and talked with her---with no intention of expecting anything more.
And for the first time in her life, she began to think of herself as a respectable lady, and not a tramp.
The stranger also arrived at high noon: that time of day when people have been known to lose their minds in heat such as this. But not this man. This man was different. This man treated her with dignity and kindness.
"Give me to drink," he said to her.
"How is it that thou, being a Jew, asketh drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."
"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."
"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 the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?"
"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 unto everlasting life."
"Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw."
"Go, call thy husband, and come hither."
"I have no husband."
"Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that sadst thou truly."
"Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."
"Woman, 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 salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is Spirit: and they that worship him worship him in spirit and in truth."
"I perceive that Mes-si-as cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us these things.
"I that speak unto thee am he."
And after the stranger had spoken these things to her, she left her waterpot and went to the city, saying, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that I ever did: is not this the Christ?"
Then they went with her to meet Christ, the stranger, and the Lord abode with them two more days.
(story from the Gospel of John, chapter 4, verses 7-40)
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