The simplicity of Sychar: patience and kindness in witnessing
The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?” (John 4:11).
We live in a fast-talking world that loves to communicate quickly and by a variety of means, but so often at a superficial level. We rarely have time to sit and reflect on our existence. At Sychar’s well, everything was slowed down as the Lord step by step leads the woman at the well to Himself. Let us pray for these kinds of moments, when ordinary conversations can be developed, to allow time to patiently communicate the Gospel.
The woman at the well did not immediately understand what the Lord was speaking about: “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” (vv. 11-12). Questions and misunderstandings are opportunities. Today there is a lot of ignorance of the Bible and its message, and especially of the Saviour. The Lord was both patient and persistent in His conversation with the woman. He presented to her a joyous life she did not possess: “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (vv. 13-14). He moves her thoughts from her physical life to spiritual life. And He illustrates this with object lessons from her experience as she drew water each day. He relates to her circumstances, and He explains in pictures. The Lord frequently communicated profound messages through simple illustrations. We should do the same.
There is a turning point in the Lord’s conversation when the woman asks, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” It is also the point when, in grace, the Lord challenges the woman’s life by saying, “Go, call your husband, and come here” (v. 16). The woman simply answers, “I have no husband.” This is a very striking moment. It was not just the Lord’s words which impressed the woman: it was His person. John Wesley said, “Let your words be the genuine picture of your heart.” This was so true of the Lord. We need to understand that people respond, not merely to our words, but to who we are. The woman felt she could confide in the Lord. And she is amazed when the Lord says, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly” (vv. 17-18).
We must never forget that we do not witness alone. The Lord has the power, not only to guide what we say and how we say it, but at the same time He can also work in the hearts and minds of those we want to lead to Him. This critical point of confidence is so important. I have discovered over the years that people who are often resentful of God, for whatever reason, eventually can take the opportunity to speak seriously about spiritual matters.
The woman discovered someone who was a Jew and a prophet. She expected to be condemned and judged by such a person. Instead, she found someone who cared for her soul. She was about to discover Christ. May the Lord teach us to care for the souls of others and look to lead them, by His grace, to Himself.
