Daily Devotional For Friday, February 21, 2025
Well you made it to Friday. Congratulations. At least the weekend is almost here and if the meteorologists are right, next week is supposed to be much warmer. I am tired of this cold and high heating bills.
It is amazing the power and influence our words have. Today’s devotional takes place in a Samaritan village. It is a story that takes place between a Samaritan woman and Jesus over a request for a drink of water. You probably know the story all too well that is found in John 4:1-38. If you remember your Bible stories or sermons, Jews and Samaritans were brutal enemies. There was great hostility and prejudice on both sides. It wasn’t one-sided, but this animosity went both ways.
In 722 BC, Assyria conquered the northern kingdom called Israel. Assyria took many Jews back to their homeland to be slaves and left a contingency of Assyrian troops in this area who over time intermarried with the remaining Jewish woman. This was forbidden by the Old Testament Law and because of this, the Jews in the south in Judah, resented these Jews for their compromise and violation of the Old Testament Law. They considered the children born between these unions “half-breeds” and illegitimate descendants of Abraham no longer entitled to the benefits as heirs to the Abrahamic covenant.
In time these Jews were no longer called Israelites, but Samaritans. When Jews in Judah travelled north to Galilee, they would take a much longer route to get there just to avoid going through the region called Samaria. So, for Jesus to take His disciples there had to have His disciples on edge and probably talking behind His back. He had sent His disciples into the closest city called Sychar to buy food. Since Jews considered Samaria and anything in it unclean, His disciples would have even believed the food they were buying was unclean. The fact they were in Samaria, they believed this made them unclean and would need to go through the proper Old Testament rituals for purification.
The Bible says this woman came at the 6th hour, which would be Noon in Jewish time. This would have been the hottest part of the day. We learn also that Jesus was exhausted from His journey to get there. Jesus did what He always did — engaged with anyone because He had come to “seek and to save the lost.” Jesus asked this woman for a drink of water, which shocked this lady. Why? She knows the racial and religious enmity between Jews and Samaritans. She also knows that Jewish men did not normally talk to Jewish women in public. So, while this is shocking, it is also surprising.
So, to surprise and shock her again, Jesus told her He could give her Living Water so that she would never thirst again. Can you imagine that? Water that would satisfy you forever. She asked Jesus for that Living Water and Jesus told her to go call her husband. She replied she did not have a husband. Jesus told her, “You have had 5 husbands and the man you are living with now is not your husband.”
She is surprised and shocked a third time. How did Jesus know this? They had never met. She perceived Jesus was some kind of prophet. Like what most lost people do when challenged with the truth, she decided to divert the conversation away from her immoral and illegal living conditions to religion and worship. This may be one of the reasons she had to come in the middle of the hottest part of the day. She was shunned by the other women of her village. How do I know that? Women often came early in the morning in groups to draw the water. She came alone. This had to be a hard life for her to live.
John 4:39-41 tells us this. After Jesus and her talked, she ran back into her village and convinced most of the town’s people to come to the well to meet Jesus. The Bible says this, “Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, `He told me everything I ever did!’ (40) When they came out to see Him, they begged Him to stay in their village. So, He stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear His message and believe” (NLT).
This is another shock and surprise. I imagine these Samaritans never thought in their lifetime they would welcome and beg a Jew to stay with them. This had to come as a shock to Jesus’ disciples also. This is the power of the Gospel to bridge all races, nationalities, economic levels, educational levels, etc.
This woman was beyond redemption in the eyes of her neighbors—but not in the eyes of Jesus, who is more than able to forgive and restore. When we feel and see His transforming power at work, let’s not be quiet about it. Let’s run to our neighbors and tell them what Jesus has done. Leading with our faith means being willing to live out our faith, even where we might not think we have much influence. Let’s tell our story anyway!
Questions to Consider
- Who do you tend to be biased against, or prejudiced against in life? Why?
- Who is it that Jesus would want to take you to see that you are not on the best terms with today? What do you think would be their reaction and why?
- The woman said to her Samaritan neighbors, “This man told me everything I ever did!” Well, Jesus only told her He knew about her 5 previous husbands and her current live-in boyfriend. Why do you think she put it this way?
- Jesus affirmed her for telling the truth about having no husband but revealed to her tactfully, the truth in love, She knew more than she was willing to admit. What is that Jesus knows about you that you are not willing to admit to others?
- In this story, when Jesus’ disciples returned with food, and told Him to eat. Jesus said He had already “eaten and was full.” They are shocked and surprised, because they wondered where Jesus got His food to eat. What does this tell you about sharing the Gospel’s impact on your own life?
Scripture To Meditate On: Acts 16:30, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (NASB)
Prayer to Pray: Heavenly Father, You have called people in each generation to Your purposes, and I stand in Your presence today to offer myself and the influence You have entrusted to me. Where my voice and opinion matter, give me courage and boldness to share Your truth and the story of my journey with You. Begin to open new doors for new responses and new outcomes. I am listening for Your voice and instruction so I might live in such a way that when I stand before You, You can say, "Well done." In Jesus' name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!—Pastor Kelly