The woman at the well is an acted parable that teaches us many lessons.
KJV John 4:7, 8
7. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
The very first thing we notice is the fact this woman comes from Samaria. To understand this text we need to investigate this detail. Samaria was actually the capitol of the ten northern tribes of Israel. This explains why the woman had knowledge of the Jewish scriptures shown in John 4:20-23.
KJV 1 Kings 16:28-30
28. So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. 29. And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.
30. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him.
KJV John 4:9
9. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
How often do we see this today. We call ourselves Christians and have been given the responsibility to carry the message to the world. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.” KJV Matthew 24:14, Revelation 14:6-7, Romans 10:17-18
But where does the Bible tell us that one religion will carry the word out to the world louder or clearer than others? The book of revelation tells about seven churches. “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” KJV Revelation 1:20 Where in the Bible does it say that these churches will be perfect and without flaw? Look at the book of Revelation. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” Revelation 2:4 God has made it clear that every church will have short comings. They will all fall short of perfection. After all they are only human.
There are some Bible studies found on the Internet that do very little to spread the word of God as we have been commanded to do. These web sites claim to teach the word of God but waste valuable time and space teaching Christians to hate other Christians. Where do they get this doctrine from? Certainly not the Bible. If there are text that teach us to war among fellow Christians I wish someone could step forward and show us that text. Prove it from the Bible.
The Samaritan woman, a descendant of the ten northern tribes of Israel expected to be treated poorly by a Jew, a descendant of the tribe of Judah. This is exactly what the Jews taught. Christians persecute other Christians because history shows us this is normal. Persecution is tradition. This is one of the things Jesus came to this world to correct. Too many Christians have forgotten the words of KJV Matthew 9:12-13. “But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” We are supposed to be reaching out to sinners. How does it look to the rest of the world when we fight like little children over minor details?
KJV John 4:10
10. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
What is this living water that Jesus is offering? What is the spiritual meaning of water? Psalms tells us that God can send water flowing in dry places. This was seen in the Exodus. “He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.” Psalms 105:41
Proverbs teaches us this water represents wisdom, council and understanding. “The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.” KJV Proverbs 18:4, Proverbs 20:5
The living water Jesus offers is the understanding of God’s word.
KJV John 4:11
11. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Did Jesus really need any type of utensil to draw out living water? Does this question suggest that the woman does not understand what this living water is? Are there people today that do not realize that this living water comes to us freely?
KJV John 4:12,
12. Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
The Samaritan woman claims she is a daughter of Jacob, father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
KJV Genesis 32:28
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel:
KJV John 4:13-14
13. Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John shows us that this living water represents the promise of Heaven.
KJV Revelation 7:17
17. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
KJV Revelation 22:1
1. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
This living water will lead us to the throne of God and of the Lamb. A closer relationship to God and Jesus. Is this living water Christ is telling the woman about in fact the same living water coming from the throne of God? Is He trying to tell us that our relationship with God should come from the throne of God and not through what men attempt to teach?
KJV Matthew 7:7-8
7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
KJV John 4:15
15. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
All we need to do is ask. The fact that this is a Samaritan woman is proof enough that this living water is free to anyone that asks.
KJV John 4:16
16. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
Now this is where the story takes a turn. In the times of Jesus, a man spoke for the woman. Women did not have the rights they enjoy in some countries today. This is another point that Jesus is attempting to bring out in this acted parable.
KJV John 4:17-18
17. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18. For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
KJV Galatians 4:22-23
22. For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
It had been customary for men to have more than one wife. How do you think this woman with five husbands was viewed in her community? This woman was going against tradition. She may not have very popular. This may have been the reason she appeared at the well at a time she knew she would be alone. She had a very good reason to avoid others.
Do we have a reason to judge this woman? Based on the information given in the Bible we do not know why this woman had five husbands. The other husbands may have died and this woman may have been victim to some very stressful circumstances. They may have given their lives fighting for freedom from the Romans. The fact is, we do not know why she had five husbands. We are told that the one she does have is not her husband. This could mean that she is now living with a man that she is not married to.
KJV John 4:20-23
20. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
The woman is giving a clear indication that she is familiar with the scriptures. She may be referring to Jeroboam the first king of Israel the ten northern tribes.
KJV 1 Kings 12:26-28
26. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27. If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Jesus does not condemn her but explains the scriptures. Also notice that Jesus points out one of the downfalls in the Jewish belief. Jesus is explaining to her that, “You do not know what you worship. (You say) we know that salvation comes for the Jews.” Here Jesus is referring to the Jewish rituals that were held to a higher standard than the word of God. Jesus then points out that the time is coming and is now here “when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.”
KJV John 4:24
24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
This is in stark contrast to the belief of the Jews which believed they knew what the people needed to do and what they should not do to earn their way to Heaven. A religion so steeped in tradition that they forgot the sacrifices pointed to a savior that was coming to die for their sins.
KJV John 14:16-18
16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
KJV John 4:25-26
25. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Do you think this woman had a clearer understanding of the scriptures than the Jews? She says that the Messiah will come to tell us all things. It seems that the Jews and even the disciples were looking for a Messiah that would be a leader sent to defeat the Roman army and place them in control. This woman was looking for Christ to lead her into wisdom, understanding and knowledge.
Now ask yourself. What was it that made this woman believe that this Jew standing before her, asking for water, was in fact the Messiah that they were waiting for all these years? Was it the fact He knew about her husbands? Or was it the Spirit working inside of her? Or a combination of things? Would God ever neglect to use any means to reach any one of us?
KJV John 4:27
27. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
This is the verse where some people display confusion. The emphasis is put on the word marveled. When human reasoning is applied to this verse people can come up with some very misleading concepts. They may assume the word marveled means wondered. When applied to the disciples this is made to appear that they did not approve of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman. At times this text is used as a proof text to show that the disciples were prejudice. From that assumption people teach that it is Biblical for the church to be prejudice.
When we look at the original meaning of the word used in the Greek we find quite a different meaning.
Strong’s Ref. # 2296 thaumazo Pronounced thou-mad’-zo
from GSN2295; by implication, to admire:
It turns out that the disciples admired the fact Jesus was talking to this Samaritan woman. And why not? The disciples witnessed the works this woman was able to accomplish.
KJV John 4:28-30
28. The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29. Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30. Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
It turns out that a woman with a limited understanding of the scriptures recognized the Saviour while the Scribes and Pharisees could not accept Him. Even the disciples had trouble seeing Jesus for who He was and understanding His mission. What was it that made this woman different? Where did she receive such faith?
KJV John 4:37-42
37. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41. And many more believed because of his own word;
42. And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
The first lesson taught is the fact that God does not require us to do all the work in saving others. He does require us to do our part. At times we may be the first Christian contact in a person’s life. Does that mean that this person must join the same church you attend? One sows, another reaps. If you make an impression on a person’s life and they join another church, will you condemn that person because their faith is not exactly like your own? Remember not one of the disciples possessed a complete understanding of Christ’s mission. They were smart enough to admire the work of this woman.
Jesus said we will be sent to reap where we have not labored. Could this mean churches will see people they have not labored for come through their doors? Or is this meant to apply only to the gates of Heaven? To clear up the matter Jesus also says that you are entered into their labors. This can hold only one meaning. We are to work together. No one’s job is more important than others. One person is never better at working for Christ than another. When feelings of pride and envy enter into the field the work will suffer.
To emphasize the point of this acted parable many Samaritans come to Jesus to hear His words and believed that He was the Savior of the world. This illustrates the point that a woman with little understanding of the scriptures can lead people to Christ. Notice the text tells us the people believed not because of the woman’s words but because they heard Christ themselves. This points out the fact that we can lead others to Christ but belief comes from a personal relationship with Christ. A relationship we can not provide. Only the Holy Spirit can fulfill that need. Some people do not know how far the Spirit is leading them and try to do all the work of leading others themselves. They have not learned to recognize the fact that the Spirit will lead them so far and then it is time to stand aside and let the Holy Spirit finish the work.
God’s design will always have a purpose. God does not want to loose a single soul. We have to admit that if we were allowed to sow and reap there would be a danger of taking the credit to ourselves. Is it a sin if we take the credit for saving souls?
This acted parable shows that Jesus personally reached out to a person that was an outcast in every meaning of the term. It seems this outcast actually had a better understanding of the scriptures than those that claimed to be teaching the word of God. She was able to accomplish more than many of them.
Jesus offered this woman living water. This living water symbolizes knowledge and understanding of the scriptures. Jesus used water as a symbol to illustrate the need for this knowledge. We can not live very long without water. Water represents life. Water will also cleanse us just as the word of God will. It is strange that much of this world is covered with water that we can not use because it is mixed with particles that can cause harm. Is that a lesson for us to learn? 
