If you are anywhere near unfamiliar with her story, I will share a summary:

Jesus was on His way to Galilee when he has to stop in Samaria. It was well around noon when He stopped at a well where a woman was gathering water. Jesus asks her for a drink, but this freaks her out because Jews aren’t supposed to be talking to Samaritans. He tells her that if she had recognized Him as the Messiah, it would actually be her asking for the Living Water. She questions His ability to obtain water when He has nothing with Him and His authority over her ancestors. He tells her that drinking from the water in this well will make her thirsty again, but she’ll never have to thirst again after drinking His Water. She then demands to have this water He speaks of so that she doesn’t have to ever come to the well. He asks her to fetch her husband, which she states she has none. He tells her she is right because she’s been married 5 times and isn’t even married to the man she is currently sleeping with. She changes the subject and asks which place is more important for worship, but He tells her that won’t even matter because true worship happens in spirit and in truth. She tell Jesus about the coming Messiah and how he will bring more clarity; Jesus tells her He is the Messiah. Next thing you know, the woman runs into town calling everyone to come see the Man, the Messiah, who told her everything she has ever done. Many Samaritans then rush to see Jesus and believe for themselves the words she had spoken.

Normally, everyone always talks about the part where Jesus says the time will come to worship in spirit and in truth. Allow me to break down some very important and undiscussed parts in this story…

First of all, Jews don’t normally like traveling through Samaria. They take the long way to Galilee from Judea. Traveling through Samaria is a shortcut. John 4:4 says He HAD to go through Samaria. This trip was not an accident. Jesus was on a mission. He was determined to stop in Samaria. This trip was necessary for Him, the disciples, the woman at the well, and her fellow townspeople. He had an appointment at the well. To demonstrate further how much Jews do not like Samaritans, the woman points out their ethnicity. “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jews wanted nothing to do with Samaritans, let alone women. And this woman?? Well she was one of the worst. 

The woman is at the well in the middle of the day because she was an outcast. She had to draw water from the well during the hottest part of the day to avoid the other women. She was not accepted in her society because… well… she was the town floozy. She had already been through five marriages. To make matters worse, she wasn’t even married to the guy she is currently sleeping with. At one point, Jesus’ disciples come back and question what Jesus is doing talking to this woman. But Jesus did not care who she was and where she came from. He cared about what she would do next.

He tells her God has a gift for her. I’m sure this woman has received some gifts in her life in attempt to be seduced. This gift is unlike any she has ever received. If she could catch a glimpse of who she was speaking to, she would be the one asking for water. She interrogates him. How does Jesus have water without a bucket? How is He greater than her ancestors? Jesus tells her the water He has will quench her thirst and it will become a spring within her. By now, they are both probably really thirsty. This sounds intriguing because if she gets this water, she’ll never have to come out there in the middle of the day ever again. She shows interest in this water He is talking about, but He is not finished with her.

He still has a little bit more work to do in her before He can fill her up. He has to address the issue that brought her out there in the first place. Where is her husband? She panics. How on earth does this man know everything about her? She completely dodges the conversation on her husbands. She asks other questions to see who He thinks He is. Then something shifts within her the moment He identifies himself as the Messiah. And without either of them ever taking a drink from the actual well, they are filled.

Suddenly she runs. She runs so fast into town without a care in the world of what others will say about her. She is free and she is filled. She tells the village to come and see the man who told her everything she has ever done. She was exposed, but she was healed. She freely received the gift God had for her. And because of that, she brought her town to salvation. He used a broken, hurt, loose woman to save the lives of many. If this is not a Genesis 50:20 moment, I don’t know what is.

This is me. I am the Samaritan woman. How many relationships have I been in that weren’t godly? How many times have I questioned God and all He had to say about me? How many times did I reject the gift He had for me? TOO MANY. But none of that matters to the Lord. He has always been in relentless pursuit of me. He has always answered me with truth. He has always fought to show me who I am. He bled so that I can be healed. Why? Because God still wants to use me. God never gave up on me. God is filling me up. God is so good! God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. What a Redeemer.

This is the untold story of the Samaritan woman because mine is still being written…