The Seventh Man

The time was midday not a a time you'd expect a woman to be going to the well in the scorching Middle East sun. Yet there she was, unperturbed and unashamed. This was no ordinary woman, you could tell. She didn't care what the world thought about her and her conversation with Christ revealed that much.

When Christ saw her, he knew this was an opportunity for him to reveal to her some truths.

The conversation starter was the request for a drink of water and being the carefree woman that she was, she went forth to ask Jesus why he thought he deserved to be served a drink by her. She had concrete reasons and one was that Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. This was a known historical fact for 'true Jews' saw Samaritans as only half Jews who had intermarried with the heathen and therefore had 'contaminated' themselves.

Her reactions compared to that of Rebecca, a Jewish woman are very different. When asked for water by Isaac's servant, Rebecca not only drew for the servant but went on to draw for his camels. Her act drew her favour and she become Isaac's wife.

Back to the Samaritan woman, Jesus understood her line of reasoning but reminded her that she really didn't know who she was speaking to and didn't know if she was the target of God's blessings at that instance. If she knew, she would be the one asking for the blessing.

The woman wasn't easily convinced and took Jesus words literally. She thought Jesus was still talking about drinking water. She wondered aloud as to what Jesus would use to draw water. And about him being a great man who'd leave her with a blessing, she wondered if He was greater than Jacob.

Jesus being not one who would leave without accomplishing his mission as he is the Word, now explains to the woman that he wasn't talking about the waters of that well but of waters capable of giving one eternal life as well as quenching one's thirst forever. The woman is now interested, for coming to this well is not something she adores but does it out of necessity. Obviously in this land she has heard of stories of supernatural providence as was the case of the widow and Elijah. She wants this blessing.

Jesus seeing that she has now understood now beckons her to bring her husband. "I have no husband, she replies'' . This Jesus perceived to be true and being Christ, he knew the number of men she had had in the course of her life. She was a true gold digger. She got together with men as long as she was benefitting from them and moved on when they went through rough patches.

Once the woman realized that Jesus was a prophet, she instantenously and without reservation pops a question to him that has been evidently been disturbing her. She showed no remorse that a prophet knew her social ways, but what really troubled her was that she was not amused by the fact that Jews insisted that true worship could only take place in the distant Jerusalem. She wondered why her people could not,  without ridicule, continue to worship where they were. Her attributes as a leader, one who is concerned about the plight of her people and as a worshiper are conveyed through these words.

Jesus assures her that her anger towards Jews should not be, for they have been chosen as the people who'd bring salvation to the world and that was not going to change. What was going to change was how people worship. "Soon and even now!" he assures her, "people will not necessarily have to worship in Jerusalem but true worship will be from those who seek to worship God from a true desire of worship, from within their spirit.

The woman relaxed for Jesus had not been as condemning as other Jews had been but had helped her understand with new revelation. She told Jesus that she knew of a Messiah who was to come and who would reveal everything (apart from what Jesus had revealed). Jesus told her that He was that Messiah.

Later we see her forgetting all about the water she had come for and running back into the city. She came back with a crowd who later invited Jesus into their town and through her act many Samaritans received salvation.

This woman realized her potential and purpose in life, in just that one encounter with Christ. In all her searchings through the six men that she had had in her life, she had not borne any satisfaction but seventh man in her life gave her all the answers to her questions and gave her peace.

 In Christ, true desire to be closer to God is met with equal true desire for satisfaction from God.