Faithful on Fridays Blog

The Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well- Part 3

“Give me a drink.” It was Jesus’ simple request of this Samaritan woman recorded in John 4; a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would have sufficed. This woman couldn’t leave it alone (Vs. 7-15). She had questions, but also had three strikes against her: she was a mixed breed, a woman, living immorally, and He didn’t even have a bucket! Pretty bold move, speaking to a Jewish man alone.

Like many of us this woman was living in the lower story; her perspective was based on what she saw and understood, however, Jesus wanted to show her the upper story and how to remain living there. 

“If you knew the gift of God …”  Jesus answered her. Oh, if she could only view her life from a heavenly perspective she’d know why Jesus confronted her. This Greek word for ‘know’ means to see with physical eyes and make the connection to the spiritual realm; it’s moving from the lower to the upper story. Jesus needed a physical drink, nevertheless, He was directing her into heavenly thinking as well. “If you knew the gift of God,” this ‘knowing’ is similar to saying, “If you knew what I meant.” 

How does anyone make the connection from the natural to the spiritual realm? Only one way: by revelation of the Holy Spirit. He opens the gateway from the natural realm into the spiritual and imparts faith to believe. Jesus wanted her to know the gift of God, the living water that quenches our spiritual thirst, but she wasn’t there yet.

… “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, John 7:37b-39a 

She’s a seeker, though, and had a couple more questions. “Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob?” Even though she’s still operating in the lower story Jesus descends to her level and speaks of a different kind of well.

… but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14 

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3 

This woman was conversing with Someone who is not only greater than her spiritual father, Jacob, but is greater than the culture, the rules, their religion, and even their places of worship. She’s speaking to the Messiah, face to face. 

“If you knew the gift of God and Who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink …”

Movement from the lower to the upper story is called faith and comes when Jesus declares who He really is, to this woman and to you and I.

“I … am He.” John 4:26