The Woman at the Well

Last week, I began a new study by reading Desperate Women of the Bible. The first chapter was the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. She came to the well to draw water in the heat of the day. As in the culture where we live, the women of that day would have normally gone in the morning or in the evening, when it is cooler. By going at noon, we see that this woman was an outcast and was trying to avoid the looks of others. She was a woman desperate love, and yet she had yet to feel satisfied in this area. We get more details of this as Jesus addresses this issue with her.

What I found interesting about this story was a line I do not think I really ever paid attention to before. Early in the story, it says that Jesus had to pass through Samaria. Why? Why did he have to? Plenty of others Jews found a road around the place that so disgusted them. Was it because Jesus was in too big of a hurry to get to where he was going to take the long way?

I don't think so. I believe that Jesus had to go there to seek out this woman. The woman was desperate for love, and Jesus was passionate about loving God's chosen. Jesus had a divine appointment. Jesus had to meet this woman.

This woman would in her hurry leave her water pot, the very mundane task that brought her to the well, to call others to come and see the Promised One. She was not exactly the one that most of us would have looked to when starting a church. However, The Lord does not choose the wise things of this world, but rather He chooses the foolish things in order to shame the wise.

Where we live, there are so many women hungry for worth, hungry for value, hungry for love. Some of them are married and hunger quietly. Some young women hunger openly and get a bad reputation. Some young men and women find value in the eyes and arms of foreigners, usually Europeans, who come here for "extracurricular activities" and then hope for a visa out of the country with said foreigner.

Sometimes human trafficking does not mean around the world but maybe only a few hours away. January is human trafficking awareness month. Praying for those in groups like Purchased who are going to seek these women who are hungry for love and value. Praying to convey that same value on the women where we live. May we feel that same urgency that Jesus felt when He had to go to Samaria.