"The Perfect Chance Encounter" Part 2

He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But he needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of 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 4:3-8

 

Today, in part two, our bitesize message of our not so chance encounter can be found in the next two verses. It is when the Samaritan woman shows up on the scene. Have you ever wondered why it makes such a big deal about this encounter taking place at the sixth hour. The sixth hour in Jewish time was at the sun's zenith which means it is 12 noon. I think that the Word tells us this because it gives us some much needed information about the woman who Jesus is here to meet. 

It tells us that she is at the well at this time a day, by herself for a reason. She went out of her way to collect and carry water from the well that is outside of town instead of the well closer. It tells us that she went out of her way to carry water from a greater distance in the heat of the day when No One else was at the well for a reason. She was avoiding human contact. Have you ever gone somewhere, done something in the hardest way possible in order to avoid someone or people in general? This woman did and it was apparently her daily custom to be here, now, at this time of day when others weren't there!

Verse 8 tells us that the disciples, all twelve of them I might add, went to get food, after all it was lunch time and they all, including Jesus, were tired and ready to rest and eat. None of them stayed with Jesus? I find that an odd concept. It takes twelve grown men to go get lunch or? Do you think, maybe? Maybe Jesus sent them all after food because He knew about the woman and the encounter that was about to take place. Was He alone at the well so that when she approached she wouldn't be intimidated by the presence of so many Jewish men hanging out at the well? Was He alone so that He could have the opportunity for this not so chance encounter?

In John 1:44-51 we find the account where Jesus is calls Nathanael. It says that ...Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said to him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him?" "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Jesus saw him ahead of time and because He was able to tell him about this Nathanael believed. Personally, I think this is also what happened with this woman at the well. We know that later in the story that Jesus knew her situation without her telling Him. I believe that He was sitting there, alone, waiting paitiently for her to approach because He knew her. He knew her need and and the cry of her heart. He knew of her need to be loved.  He knew of her the loneliness and shame that drove her to be here at this well at this time of the day. He knew and He waited. As she approached He said, "Give Me a drink." and thus her perfect not so chance encounter begins.