7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.a )
10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
16He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
17“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”....
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him. (John 4)
Thoughts: The woman at the well listened to Jesus because He listened to her. Jesus knew her before she ever knew him. He knew she had five husbands and was living with a man who wasn't her husband. He knew she was looking for more- someone/something that would fulfill her life. He was willing to listen to her- when everyone else had shunned her- though she was a Samaritan and he was a Jew; though she was female and he was male. She listened to Him because He was a great listener to her. He seemed to listen to her soul. So she boldly told her people, "Come see a man who told me everything I ever did." He claimed to offer her eternal life (living water), and told her He was the Messiah and she believed.
Winning people to Christ requires listening. We fail when we spout out simple answers or even complex ones- but do not listen to the heart of the person speaking. This takes focus, time, attention. In a world in which we are distracted by so many selfish pleasures and individual messages (texts, emails, instagram, facebook, snapchat, etc.) it is hard to even focus on family and those immediately around us- much less a stranger in need like this woman.
Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are the greatest listener. You listen to my soul, you see my needs before I can express them, but you also listen to my cry. Hear me. Give me grace to hear you. Give the courage to invest my time in listening to others in your name.
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him. (John 4)
Thoughts: The woman at the well listened to Jesus because He listened to her. Jesus knew her before she ever knew him. He knew she had five husbands and was living with a man who wasn't her husband. He knew she was looking for more- someone/something that would fulfill her life. He was willing to listen to her- when everyone else had shunned her- though she was a Samaritan and he was a Jew; though she was female and he was male. She listened to Him because He was a great listener to her. He seemed to listen to her soul. So she boldly told her people, "Come see a man who told me everything I ever did." He claimed to offer her eternal life (living water), and told her He was the Messiah and she believed.
Winning people to Christ requires listening. We fail when we spout out simple answers or even complex ones- but do not listen to the heart of the person speaking. This takes focus, time, attention. In a world in which we are distracted by so many selfish pleasures and individual messages (texts, emails, instagram, facebook, snapchat, etc.) it is hard to even focus on family and those immediately around us- much less a stranger in need like this woman.
Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are the greatest listener. You listen to my soul, you see my needs before I can express them, but you also listen to my cry. Hear me. Give me grace to hear you. Give the courage to invest my time in listening to others in your name.
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