The Thirst of the Soul

<p>THE THIRST OF THE SOUL John 4:1 When Jesus left Judea and returned to Cana in Galilee he had to go through Samaria on the way, and around noon as he approached the village of Sychar, he came to Jacob's Well, located on the parcel of ground Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jesus was tired from the long walk in the hot sun and sat wearily beside the well.</p> <p>Jesus was travelling purposefully through Samaria on his way from Jerusalem to Cana which was unusual for a Jew because Jews always took the longer journey on the flat terrain along the western side of the Jordan river instead of going over the steep area of Mount Gerizim through Samaria. They did this because they always avoided associating with the Samaritans whom they regarded as gentiles. However, Jesus was being led by the Holy Spirit and waiting for whatever purpose his Father had in mind for him in Samaria.</p> <p>Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. He was alone at the time as his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. The woman was surprised that a Jew would ask a ‘despised Samaritan’ for anything - usually they wouldn't even speak to them, and she remarked on this to Jesus. He replied, "If only you understood what a gift God has for you, and who I am, you would ask me for some living water!" "But you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this is a very deep well. Where would you get this living water? And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob? How can you offer better water than this which he and his sons and cattle enjoyed?"</p> <p>Let us look at what is happening behind the words that are being spoken here. Jesus had asked the woman for a drink of water, much to her surprise, and she became defensive about being a ‘despised Samaritan’, but to her further surprise Jesus in return offered her the gift of living water.  The woman backs away from his offer by commenting that he doesn’t have a rope or bucket and she questions him as to where he would get this living w