The Woman at the Well

Scripture Reference: John 4: 1-42

During the time of this actual event, Jews traveling through the Samaritan area would go around Samaria and avoid contact as they despise the Samaritans. The unnamed woman that comes to the well where Jesus was waiting, came, on purpose, at a time of day that others from her town would not be there (the heat of the day). Due to her questionable lifestyle, this Samaritan woman was an outcast among her own people who were themselves to the Jews… an outcasts among the outcasts.

In this practical, verbal exchange with her about getting a drink of water and how to draw it…

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

God has placed a “thirst to know and worship Him” in us all – he was offering her a relationship with her creator, which would satisfy that thirst for the rest of her life here on earth and into eternity. She did not know who Jesus was though she did know about the Messiah and about God and worship… “religion”. But, not about Relationship, which is what Christianity really is. She immediately replies with; “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” (which further illustrates that she still hadn’t gotten the message).

Jesus’ response to her “give me this water” may seem really odd and out of place, a big change of subject even. “Go, call your husband and come back.” Strangely enough, this was needed to help her along and was not a 180, out of the blue response. This started a dialog that revealed who Jesus really was. It made her examine her life and what she as “filling herself with to satisfy that deep thirst” with and it was the approval of males instead of the loving approval of God.

I painted this painting to be around the time she “gets it” and runs off, towards her town where she was an outcast, leaving the water jug there at the well (a metaphor to me about leaving her old thirst/life) to go tell the good news she was now so filled with!

I hope you enjoyed the painting and commentary,

Chris Cook