“Living Water” (John 4:5-42)

John 4:5-42

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Pastor Tom Johnson, March 15, 2020

Jesus was tired and thirsty and sits at the well—Jacob’s well. You’ll remember that Jacob first met his wife Rachel at this well (Gen 29:10). It’s a place of social interaction—especially at the start and end of the day when it was cooler and would make the task of carrying large amounts water easier. So we know that the Samaritan woman was practicing social distancing. She came to draw water at noon—the hottest part of the day. She came at a time to minimize contact with others probably because she was an outcast of her own community.

Jesus breaks down all these social barriers and obstacles with her:

First, Jesus crosses geographic boundaries by crossing the border between Israel and Samaria.

Second, Jesus breaks the silence. He says, “Give me a drink.” He takes the first step toward connecting with this woman. It is his idea in the first place.

Third, Jesus leaves his comfort zone. He does not let physical exhaustion and thirst keep him from being the one who initiates this beautiful connection.

Fourth, he does not engage in prejudice. He crosses ethnic divides. Samaritans are considered worse than Gentiles because they had some Israelite ancestry. She is amazed: “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria.”

Fifth, he does not engage in racism or the abuse of power. He does not try to withhold goodness from her or drive her away. John writes the editorial comment, “Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.” Jesus discards this racial injustice. He wants to share an even greater water and a word of affirmation.

Sixth, Jesus tears down the dividing wall of gender. Jesus, a man, is talking to this Samaritan, a woman. Our text says Jesus’ disciples “were astonished that he was speaking with a woman.”

Seventh, Jesus overcomes the obstacles of the hidden mind and heart. Without hearing her story, he knows the thoughts and intentions of her heart. He knows all things. She says, “He told me everything I have ever done!”

These are all divisions that we human beings have created. We are the ones who draw lines on maps, do not speak or listen to each other, are scared to leave our comfort zones, have prejudicial attitudes, say and do racist things, discriminate against people based on gender identity, and disregard people’s personal stories. Jesus breaks down all these walls of apathy and hostility through one encounter with one human being on one hot and sweaty afternoon.  As Scripture says, in the Kingdom of God “there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free. We are all one” (Gal 3:28). He does this, not to socially reengineer and start a revolution. He does this to show us the way things really are. In God’s eyes she is not an outcast. She is special. She is God’s precious child.

Last year, the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” came out with Tom Hanks playing Fred Rogers known as Mr. Rogers from his children’s TV show. It is about a journalist, Lloyd Vogel, who has the reputation of digging up dirt on celebrities. He is assigned to interview Mr. Rogers. He fights his assignment. He promises to find something scandalous about him. He is a person filled with anger, resentment, and hardness of heart.  Mr. Rogers calls him. One of the first things he says to Lloyd over the phone is, “Do you know what the most important thing to me is in all the world right now? Lloyd Vogel. Talking to you.” What this jaded journalist learns is that Fred Rogers is not playing Mr. Rogers on TV. He authentically cares about people. Mr. Rogers really does live in the moment. He truly does pray and care about individuals even as a flawed human being.

That is how Jesus is toward each of you and me. “He told me everything I have ever done!” For all of us he leaves his comfort zone, takes out the time, appreciates the full spectrum of humanity, intimately knows each of our stories, truly cares, is not afraid to be seen with us in public, and loves each of us.  No where is this more clearly seen than on the Cross of Calvary. He leaves his heavenly throne to join the intricate fabric of humanity. He listens, learns, and cares. He is publicly disgraced and killed. He spreads his arms wide in loving acceptance and forgiveness and assures us of eternal life.

Strokkur, Iceland

These last weeks have been unsettling. Lord, help us in the midst of things that are difficult to understand to find your peace assurance of your love. Have mercy, Lord, on those who are sick and medical professionals all around the world. It is at times like these that we remember some universal truths. Humanity has a common enemy, the Coronavirus, Covid-19. It is no respecter of persons. It only wishes to self-replicate and will do so even if it disrupts, harms, and kills. It is just as we know as God’s children: evil is palpable. And so Jesus teaches us to pray, “Deliver us from evil—deliver us—our whole world—all humanity—from evil, sin, and death.” “Tear down these walls of hostility between us—divisions between people that we have created, not God.


God has brought us together as the human race. We can pull together intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and even as we practice social distancing. When Jesus says that he is the living water, he is not like a well which has water that needs to be drawn out. He is like a geyser—God’s grace bursting and gushing out into the world. Jesus the living water tears down every wall of hostility between us and between us and God. It is his idea. It is his joy. He brings us together under his banner of acceptance, peace, and love. And in him our hope will not be disappointed.