John 4:13, 15-17 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again. For my gift will become a spring in the man himself, welling up into eternal life.” The woman said, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may stop being thirsty—and not have to come here to draw water any more!” “Go and call your husband and then come back here,” said Jesus to her. “I haven’t got a husband!” the woman answered. “You are quite right in saying, ‘I haven’t got a husband’,” replied Jesus, “for you have had five husbands and the man you have now is not your husband at all. Yes, you spoke the simple truth when you said that.”
Every time I would read this passage I would always wonder why Jesus seemed to abruptly change the conversation. When He first starts it seems like He's just about to launch into the gospel. But it seems He changes course when the Samaritan woman is just getting into it. He tells the girl to go get her husband. Why would he do that?
Was Jesus just showing her that He "knew all things"? Was He trying to let her know that "He knew all the bad things she had done?" Or, was there something else to it?
Well, after reflecting about the whole conversation I have come up with something that makes a little more sense to me.
Think about it this way... If a guy meets a woman at some "watering hole" today, like a bar or coffee shop, and tells her "hey, what I have for you will take care of you for the rest of your life", what would you think he was talking about?
You can tell by the woman's response. "Hey, mister, I want some of that! I'll gladly give up the deadbeat I'm with now for some lifelong security".
Did the lady of Samaria think Christ was coming on to her? After all, that's what it seemed she was used to, doesn't it? Seems like it.
Not to be misunderstood, Jesus starts talking about her mate, er... mates.
How many times has that happened to you or someone you know? You're talking to someone and you can tell they're getting a little too cozy and you start talking about your mate or theirs just to redirect the conversation?
Jesus did not want to be misunderstood. What He had to say to her was on a whole 'nuther level. For her to understand it, He needed to make sure she knew where
He was coming from.
It's a good example of how He operated. He wasn't interested in pointing out her sins and making her feel bad. That wouldn't make her want to open up and listen to Him.
He wanted her to know that, even though He knew certain things about her, He was still interested in her well being. He was interested in giving life giving water to her and her husband. It didn't matter what kind of life she was living or had lived.
How's that for inspiration?
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