"The Perfect Chance Encounter" Part 3

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.  Then the women of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan women?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.John 4:6-9

 

So today's little bit is found in verse 9 which is the next verse in our not so chance encounter. I Know that personally I think that it is important because it reveals something about both Jesus and the woman at the well. In verse 7 we see the woman approach the well in order to draw water and we see Jesus do something that, on His part is actually pretty wonderful! He speaks to her and says, "Give Me a drink." He draws her into engaging with Him by asking for the very thing she is focused on. She is there because of her need for water and she is there, at this particular well, at this particular time, because she also has a need to avoid people. I love that He uses things like mustard seeds, wine skins, sheep, coins, pearls, or even a drink of water to touch hearts and to reach us where we are at. I love that He immediately speaks to her and asks her for a drink of water, because in doing so, He forces her to be in contact with Him.

I must admit that I also love that the first thing He does, is to break all the 'rules and regulations' of religion. He doesn't ignore her! He speaks to her and requests a drink. He doesn't snub her and pretend she isn't there or even more importantly He doesn't treat her like she is a non-person. After all she does have two strikes against her; she is a Samaritan and a woman! Jesus didn't care about either! He doesn't care about the 'rules and regulations' of religion. He came to meet with her! He came to meet her need to know that God loves her. 

His request for a drink quickly exposes her greatest need and in verse 9 we see her response. ...Then the women of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan women?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans... Her first immediate response doesn't even acknowledge His request for a drink but instead is strictly motivated by her surprise that He make such a request from her!  She immediately recognizes that He was a Jewish man and she is astonished that He would be asking her, an 'impure Samaritan woman' for drink. 

Remember she is there at this time, at this particular well to avoid human contact. We know from what Jesus says later in the account that she has a history that would cause the 'righteous' to judge and condemn. She needs water so she goes to the well at a time when no one else would be there to avoid all the 'righteous' people who would point, whisper, or who would be unkind to her. She is amazed when Jesus, a Jewish man, makes His request and she immediately responds with her question for Him which is basically asking, "Why me? Why would You notice me?" 

In Matthew 18:11 Jesus said, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  Honestly, who is more lost than a woman who is an outcast in her home town because she spent her life looking for true love in all the wrong places?   He came, He noticed her, and He made His request because He cared! He cared about her need to know that she was truly loved. He wanted her to know that she mattered! 

Theirs was the perfect chance encounter because she needed to know that God truly loved her, no matter what!