Snapshot
The Samaritan woman: The multiple-times married woman.
Jesus: Father of all, and mankind’s fellow sufferer.
Samaria: A part of Israel deemed occupied by proselyte Jews.
The two types of water
John 4:7,10 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 10] Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
John 4:7,10 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 10] Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
John 4:7,10 Then a woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink” 10] Jesus answered her, “If you knew [about] God’s gift [of eternal life], and who it is who says, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him [instead], and He would have given you living water (eternal life).”
“Man shall not live by well alone but by every water that flows out of the river of life." is an analogy. We have heard of the bread version, which reads: “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Although the water-related construct may not be found as a standalone verse, the attributes of the discussion in view do not put such composition out of our ambit.
The verses before us set in contrast two forms of water that are needed for life. Jesus was weary and therefore required the water and thus did not in any way undermine the use of the earthly water for bodily nourishment. However, He said anyone who drinks it will still thirst again. This is because, by creation, man is crafted to perspire. As such, he will lose water intake through many means and will be caused to want a drink again. In this way, his excretion and sweat replenish the earth. He may have meant to contrast the purpose of natural water to living water. Of course, if one drinks the living water, He never thirsts again. This may be confusing, but examining the reason for drinking may hold out a clarity worth committing to the heart.
Essentially, man drinks water to survive. He drinks it for this exact purpose repeatedly. But the living water may be drunk for different spiritual purposes. And if Jesus said, He who drinks it shall never thirst again, we may as well say, suppose the living water is taken for any purpose, and well drank at that. The drinker may not need to drink for the same purpose again. Or better, such may not be sipping on the same level of thirst or want again. For example, David’s soul panted after God all the days of His life. And by his life’s trajectory, it is easily seen that his life was a life of advancement in longing for God.
The sources of water.
The woman spoke of water obtainable from the deep wells of life, which required rope and buckets to draw. This connotes the struggles man engages in for the sake of survival. We note in Genesis 3 that the earth was cursed for our sake. Thus, with the toils and sweat do we feed and drink from the ground. However, there was no indication of satisfaction attached. Though we build cisterns for conservation and store up security as insurances, unforeseen circumstances have often come as moth and termite to devour many such reservoirs. This has landed many in square one in their life’s struggles.
More explicitly, speaking of rope and bucket, energy needs to be exerted to draw from wells containing natural waters. And permit me to say the cycle of this exhaustion-leading exertion never ends until we expire as humans. Aren’t our struggles numerous and our days few (Job 14:1)! Aren’t we like flowers that blossom today and tomorrow are completely withered or faded, yet the earth goes on (1 Peter 1:24; Psalm 103:15)! The eyes of the rich may not be filled with tears, but indeed, their glands are, and their pores pour out sweat.
Moreover, both tastes the same; just the outlets differ. While the struggles of the poor are well-spelt, the internal dissatisfaction of the rich grows as income or influence increases. Still, the sweat and tears of the rich can be covered by some acquired protectives – materials, methods, or position.
Contrarily, Jesus spoke of living water. And the tone of their conversation left no precursory need for buckets and ropes, struggles and fighting, greed and maiming in other to draw, and possibly, preserve this water. If anything, the woman was dazed at the fact that Someone lacking these known means and methods will speak of water. This, combined with the possibility of the water becoming bubbling springs in the privileged drinker, leaves us with no other option than to look for closely related passages for the source of living water.
On the last day of a feast, also reckoned as the most critical day of such event after men have been well fed, Jesus said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.” Again, Jesus alluded to His assertion to this woman – that the to-be-given living water will become a fountain of water – when He said if anyone believes His claim by coming to Him, “out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink,” said Jesus; not come and draw nor come and fetch. For drawing will connote an interpose of energy or strength, fetching an intention to store. Requiring no power to stake nor any barrel with which to store, we can believe that what Jesus wanted was a continuous drink – drinking per thirst. No delay is intended by the Master; just come and drink to capacity as soon as you arrive. Did the chapter in the book of Proverbs, which speaks of Jesus as wisdom, personified, not say, “Blessed is the man who listens to me…”? And “How?” one may ask. By “…watching daily at my gates, waiting daily at the posts of my doors.” In other words, we drink to and are satisfied according to the level of our thirst per time.
Thus, this water source is a river, wide enough for all, far-reaching enough to all; and purifying all who drink. This river is that gladdening river that makes the city or temple of God that we are joyful (Psalm 46:4).
