A Thought for Monday 24 November 2014

“Jesus said [to the woman at the well], ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water’.” John 4:10 NKJV

“Wells are characterized by depth; their contents give life. The well requires an act of strength to access its life-giving waters; it does not simply flow of its own accord.”  This commentary by Rabbi David Segal is a direct reference to the well at which Jacob met his beloved Rachel, but his observation fits well especially in this exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

Like nearly every story in the Bible, there is always much more than what initially meets the eye.  So if we truly believe all Scripture is inspired from Above, we must believe we are invited into a story to look deeper, to exercise “an act of strength” in determination to draw closer.  If we truly believe all Scripture to be so inspired, then, we cannot simply accept it as is; to expect it to “flow of its own accord”.  It may well do this, but we won’t know if we do not intentionally draw from that well with a determination to do much more than merely quench our own momentary thirst.

The woman was involved in the discussion, but she did not have a “burning bush” moment in which she suddenly saw the light.  Even after she went back into the city, she was sharing her encounter with Jesus but was still asking, “Could this be the Christ?”  Her efforts speak to what most of us go through almost daily.  It is not a matter of doubting Jesus as Messiah; it is, for us, a matter of more fully understanding what is being said in a given moment and what it will mean later.

There is no linear thought in the Scriptures.  Though some passages seem very clear as they are, the context from which we draw fuller meaning must always be taken into consideration.  Even Jesus’ offer of “living water” and “the food which is to do the will of Him who sent Me (vs 34)” demands a closer look.

Let your daily reflections and devotions become for you much more than the mere words on a page.  Recognize that the well from which we must draw the “living water” runs very deep and requires devotion to the task and real effort.  We are assured that the effort will have been well worth it.

Blessings,

Michael