“He left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria.”
John 4:3-4
“Go long!”
Three steps to the back. Release. Follow through. The pigskin trailed through air as it left Will’s fingertips.
“Perfect spiral,” he whispers to himself. His eyes trace the movement and he inhales a fresh breath of crisp desert air.
Catch! A hit to the chest ensures the football’s reception in Sharon’s direction.
“Whooo! You’re longest yet!” she shouts and bends over to catch a breath.
“Nice hands, Shar.” He runs towards the bombshell beauty and high fives her.
“Why do you have to throw so hard?” she tosses the ball back.
“Hard? It was a perfect pass.”
“My chest is red, William.”
“Shar, you know I go all out. Do you want me to hold back?”
She smiles and looks up at his zealous eyes. “No.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Throw it again.”
Can you handle it when God throws you a pass?
When Jesus passes you a mission, you say yes. When Jesus intends to pass through a certain place, He does. When God says I want you to pass on this one, you obey. When God says I need you to catch my pass, you receive it. We listen to Him in every situation.
Jesus can do more in one moment than we can try in a lifetime.
In John 4, a woman goes to draw water and Jesus wanted to find this woman. He knew her past and He knew she was valuable to Him.
“A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink. (For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.)” John 4:7-8
Jesus makes sure He is alone to have this exchange with her. He knew she would not bend easily to His inquiry without provoking Him to a deeper discussion, and he did not want anyone else interfering with their conversation.
He wants to talk to her where only she and him can hear, because he knows details about her that he does not need anyone to repeat or be privy to. He just wants to show her He loves her and has chosen her to be His.
“The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)” John 4:9
This woman gets sassy with Jesus. Gives him lip. Gives him attitude. And Jesus likes it. He likes that she does not yield to face-value interactions but wants to truly understand why he is talking to her. Usually, Jewish men would not approach Samaritan women like her.
Jesus was not allowed to talk to her per protocol. But Jesus is God. Therefore, He does not yield to protocol.
Jesus makes the rules.
Jesus talks to everyone. Jesus goes everywhere.
Nothing keeps Him out.
Nothing intimidates Him.
Nothing bars Him from crossing boundaries to rescue you from death.
“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10
Jesus asked her to give him something before He would unleash the blessing. He wanted to know if she would listen to what He asked her. He wanted to know if she would question Him and dig deeper to find out what He really wanted.
“The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” John 4:11-12
Jesus asks her for a drink to see if she perceives what He has to give her. If she perceives correctly, then she will understand He needs nothing from her. He actually wants to give her everything.
“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14
Jesus wants you to hard-pass on the lesser things of the world, so you can receive His treasures when He passes through.
Over the next few minutes Jesus will ask her hard questions and she answers them. She does not leave until she has discovered who He is.
“Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.” John 4:21-23
He won her.
She fell in love with Him after that encounter.
Jesus wins her by being willing to banter with her and not shy away from the hard conversation.
“Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3
Answer Jesus’ questions. Ask Him questions. Tell Him how you really feel. Hash it out with Him. This is where you get to the gold of what truly is going on. God has more to say to you.
Jesus intentionally sought out this woman at the well by Samaria on purpose. He wanted her.
God seeks you to belong to Him.
God goes out of His way to seek you.
God delights in your reception of Him when He seeks you.
God’s pursuit will make you leave everything behind for Him.
After this encounter, she runs back to her town from the well to tell everyone He is the Messiah. His identity was that monumental to her – even more powerful than the need for water itself. She knew He was the One she had been looking for all along.
“So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”They went out of the town and were coming to him.” John 4:28-30
Life and God 