She stopped dead in her tracks, water jug in hand, as she debated whether or not to step forward. In the distance, sitting next to Jacob’s well – the well waiting to quench her temporary thirst – was a strange man she did not recognize. Alone and unsure, she looked behind her. Part of her wanted to step back into uncertainty, while the other half of her heart tugged curiously toward this strange man at the well. One foot after another, her steps heavy with suspicion, but her thirst winning over her fear, she made the decision to approach him. As she drew closer, her heart began to quicken as she realized by his stark features that this man was of Jewish descent. She quickly averted her gaze from his unusually kind eyes and thought to herself, I am a Samaritan woman, and I am alone, surely he will think less of me. Get your water, and get home. As she prepared to fill her water jug, hands quivering at the presence of this peculiar man, her breath caught at the sound of his gentle voice. He spoke.  “Will you give me a drink?” She pulled back her water jug in utter shock, and with eyes wide in disbelief she responded, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” The man shifted in his seat, eyes smiling, almost as if he knew that would be her response. The woman stood still in fear-filled awe as this strange man spoke of a living water; an everlasting well of eternal life, a life without thirst. “But sir, where do I get this living water?” The man, with a knowing look on his face and a tenderness she couldn’t understand, told her to go fetch her husband and then return to the well. The woman cast her gaze to the ground as shame filled her and responded, “I don’t have a husband.” The man slowly stood and carefully walked to her as his voice grew soft and said, “I know. You have had five husbands, while the man you are with now is not your husband at all.” Her cheeks began to burn with embarrassment as her gaze met his with nothing but questions swimming in her widened eyes, and answered, “I see you are a prophet.” The man began to speak of a time when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. She became captivated by his riddles and his talk of a foreign God she had only heard of, but had never known. The woman, entranced by this irkingly mild-mannered man, responded, “I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” He smiled once more, reached lightly for her hand, and said, “I, the one speaking to you, I am He.”

I wish I could’ve been witness to this culture shock of a conversation. Jesus singlehandedly broke every social and cultural boundary with one simple, yet life changing conversation. The first barrier broken – Jesus, a Jewish man, decided to converse with a woman. Traditionally, Jewish men were not to be seen conversing with women alone. Not only was she a woman, but she was a Samaritan woman – second barrier broken. In biblical times, the Samaritan people were despised by the Jewish culture. Samaritans were known as a people group that held no claim to the Jewish God, and were therefore to be avoided at all costs. The third barrier broken? Not only was she a Samaritan woman, but she had walked half a mile from her home in Sychar alone. In those days, women would walk and gather together at the well in order to socialize. The fact that this Samaritan woman made the journey alone signified to the rest of her culture that she was an outcast, judged fiercely by her promiscuity. So, to say this poor girl had a lot riding against her is a vast understatement! 

Can’t you just picture her hesitation as she approached the well, heartbreakingly comfortable in her solitude, as she was stunned by the sight of a Jewish man with a kind smile? I can only imagine the courage it took to approach Him; feeling bound by the chords of her own culture. I’m picturing myself in her shoes, and in that moment it would’ve been a battle for me not to wear the memory of my past mistakes and run to the safety of my own isolation. It would’ve been a raging war inside my mind of all the labels my society had thrown on me – an unworthy outcast, unwanted and alone. Or, did she make the journey forward because she figured He wouldn’t even look her way? As a Samaritan woman, she knew He would never give her the time of day. Was she so used to the feeling of her own invisibility in a society that despised her, that she was numb to the presence of yet another passive critic, unphased by His presence? I believe that Jesus picked that particular well at that exact time of day just so He could be in the presence of this rejected and excluded Samaritan woman. He chose to enter her world despite the chaos that seemed so ugly to her. The Messiah broke every cultural barrier, every social norm, and this broken woman’s life was changed forever for one reason, and one reason only: He spoke. 

How I wish I could’ve seen the utter shock on her face as this Jewish man, unknowingly to her the Creator of her soul, addressed her. Not only did He address her, but He took the time to enter her brokenness and offer her living water. A life where she would never be separated from Him again; a life that would be made whole and free from the shame of her own past. Imagine her surprise at the end of this story when He revealed His true identity. 

The Messiah, the true King, couldn’t imagine a life without one of his beloved daughters. It was the beginning of a marvelous, yet terrifying new chapter because in that moment she went from forsaken to chosen daughter of the One True King, Jesus. It was one single moment, one simple conversation, that would change the course of her entire life. All because He spoke. 

Warriors, I have absolutely no idea what battle you are facing this week or even this very second. What I do know, what I can promise you, is that when you allow the King to speak life into your storm, the battle ceases because the battle becomes His. The diagnosis you’ve received that keeps you awake at night, fearing the future as your heart aches from devastation? He’s going before you, with a shield that gives you access to an unexplainable peace as you walk through the fire. The regret and shame from your past mistakes that you wear daily? He’s already behind you, where you have focused your gaze, and using His perfect artistry to bring beauty out of your ugly mess. The control that you can feel slipping as chaos creeps in? He’s there, standing before you, gently relaxing your grip as He reaches for His own sword. Beloved, just like this forgotten woman at the well, He sees you too. Your feelings of chaos, fear and abandonment do not go unnoticed. Walk in this truth this week: You are a child of King Jesus; a King that chooses you every single day without hesitation, despite your own. A King that doesn’t fear your future, isn’t intimidated by your mess, and isn’t bothered by the labels that others have thrown at you. A King that no ounce of darkness would ever dare challenge. Why? Because you are fiercely loved by a King that would rather spend all of His time entering your pain, than live in a world where a relationship with you doesn’t exist. Step forward, heart racing and legs weary, and watch Him speak life into the very depths of your deepest fears. 

(The Woman at the Well – John 4:1-26)