John 4:10 – He Seeks Us

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” –  John 4:10

Of low esteem, and yet He sought her out. Little to offer Him, and yet He sought her service. Reproachable in the eyes of the world, and yet He told her He was the Messiah, He took time to listen to her story, He confronted her with the truth of her sin, and He offered her His eternally satisfying and thirst-quenching living water.

The woman Jesus was speaking to in this verse was a Samaritan and Jesus was a Jew, two groups of people who “[did] not associate,” (John 4:9). Jesus knew she was a Samaritan, and more than that He knew her story, she had five husbands in her past and the man she was currently with was not her husband (John 4:17). Despite His knowledge of the social divide between them and her personal shortcomings He still sought her out. He asked her to use what she had to serve a person in need, “tired as he was from the journey,” he asked her, “Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:6,7). Her response was to focus on what divided them, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (John 4:9). He then offered her living water, but she responded with doubt and a superficial desire to rid herself of a daily chore, she said “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water,” (John 4:15). He knew she did not quite understand, she was blinded by worldly division and the tasks of her day. To get her attention He gently and truthfully confronted her with her sin so that she would understand that He was talking about far more than a drink of water. Becoming aware of the significance of the moment she acknowledged the deeper need in her life and when she acknowledged her need, Jesus declared, “I am he,” the Messiah she had been longing for, (John 4:26). And once she acknowledged Him as the Messiah, He used her to save others, “many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony…they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers,” (John 4:39-41). Despite the social divide between them, Jesus’s presence caused the people of this Samaritan town to acknowledge Him as Savior, “we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world,” (John 4:42).

Like the Samarian woman, Jesus seeks us out. He asks us to use what we bring to the table to serve Him. He offers us Himself, the living water that we desperately need to quench the thirst of our weary souls. He confronts us with our sin because He wants us to know that we need a Savior. He confronts us with our sin to snap us out of our routine and remind us that He has much more for us than worldly comfort or convenience. And when we acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior and we submit to His Lordship over our lives, He uses us to spread His life-giving message.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you seeking us out, for loving us despite our shortcomings, for saving us, and for allowing us to be a part of Your work. Help us to focus on Your promises, Your glory, and Your great love for us and not worldly division or past sin.