A WOMAN AND A WELL
A WOMAN AND A WELL
AT THE WELL
Jesus left the river and travelled from place to place. He chose 12 men to follow him. They were called his ‘disciples’. They were his closest students. And they went with Jesus to the towns and villages. Jesus taught the people in those places about God’s kingdom.
One day, they went through the land of the Samaritans. Now the Jews did not like the Samaritans. Long ago, some of the Jews had chosen wives who were not Jews. The Samaritans were from those families. They were a mixed people. The Jews were not pleased with this.
As they were coming up to a town, Jesus was tired. So he sat down by a well and rested. His disciples went into town to buy food.
As Jesus was sitting there, a woman came out to get some water. Jesus asked her for a drink.
She said, ‘How can you ask me for a drink? I am a Samaritan woman. You are a Jew. Your people do not have anything to do with my people.’
Jesus said, ‘If you knew who I was, then you would ask me for a drink. And I would give you living water.’
The woman replied, ‘Where are you going to get this water? You do not even have a bucket!’
And Jesus said, ‘The person who drinks from this well will need water again. But the person who drinks the water that I give will never need water again. The water that I give will bring life that lasts for ever.’
So the woman asked for some of this water. And Jesus said, ‘Go get your husband.’
But the woman said, ‘I do not have a husband.’
Jesus said, ‘You are right. In fact, you have had five husbands. And the man you are living with now – he is not your husband either.’
The woman said, ‘Sir, you must be a prophet. I know that when the Promised Saviour comes, he is going to explain many things to us.’
And Jesus said, ‘He is talking to you now—I am him.’
So the woman ran back into town. She began to tell people. ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he be the Promised Saviour?’
So the people from the town went out to see Jesus. They asked Jesus to stay with them. So he stayed with them for two days. And many of the Samaritans believed in Jesus.
Afterwards, they told the woman, ‘Now we have heard him for ourselves. We truly believe that he is the one God has promised. He is the one who will save the world.’