And He had to pass through…
In John chapter 4 we find one of the most glorious demonstrations of the love of Christ. This is a love that is willing to stoop down and love the unlovable. It’s a love that is willing to go out of its way to meet someone in need. It’s a love that is able to heal every hurt, right every wrong, and provide peace in the midst of a tumultuous time. This is the wondrous love of Christ on full display and it’s seen through the story of the woman at the well.
This woman was a woman of questionable moral character. Certainly, she had made some horrifyingly bad decisions in her life. Scripture is silent on the point, but she must have felt the full burden for her past mistakes. As is often the case, (even though she may not have shown it publicly) privately she was guilt-ridden and deeply unhappy. In a quiet moment, this woman must have experienced the full weight of loneliness, guilt, and a sense of hopelessness that her life could be anything more than what it was…
And then we read, “And He had to pass through Samaria” (4:4). In other words, it was absolutely necessary for Jesus to pass through Samaria on this day to meet this woman exactly where she was. In essence Jesus had to show up somewhere He never should have been to love someone He never should have loved.
During His interaction with her, we discover why. He offers her “living water.” In the midst of her brokeness, He extends an invitation to come to the spring of life and drink to her soul’s satisfaction.
Wherever you are in life, the invitation to you is the same. Come to Christ and be satisfied by all that He is for you. He is able to create in you the life change that we so desperately need. On a hot sunny day, beside a well in Samaria, Jesus met an unlovable woman and made her a new creation. No longer did she live unto herself. Instead, she began to live a life for the glory of Christ. We know this because “Many from [her] town believed because of her testimony” (v. 39). What glorious grace God shows!
Have you experienced this grace? Has your soul been satisfied by this love? If so, let go of the guilt. Let go of the burden of sin. You’ve been forgiven. Be satisfied.
If not, if you’ve never drank from the water of life and received the satisfaction that only it can bring, then I pray that today is the day that Jesus has to pass by you.