Lessons Learned: Samantha, The Woman at the Well

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

The following is a story of the Samaritan woman at the well.  We really do not know much about her only what we read in John chapter four.  Therefore, I will make up a lot of stuff prior to her going to the well.  She must have been really hurting to go through five husbands and now living with a man she is not married to.  Since we do not know her name, I asked the Lord to help me give her a name.  She is a Samaritan woman.  So, I will call her Samantha.

Bible passages are from the New Living Translation and are in italics.

Samantha’s Story

I have had a long history with men, abusive men.  I was always looking for a man.  I wanted to be loved so much I was willing to do anything.  I married my first husband at fourteen years old.  He seemed nice at first but as time went on, he started to beat me.  God must have really loved me because one day he fell over a rock at hit his head.  He died right away.  I next married his brother.  His brother was no different, in fact he was worst.  He would rape me almost every night, yet he never allowed me to get pregnant.  He also died when he drank too much.

I married again thinking this one will turn out to be the one.  He was always away on “business”.  It turns out he was going to other towns and robbing people.  He often would watch for travelers on lonely stretches of road and rob and beat them.  One of my brothers found a man beaten by him and left for dead by the road.  My brother took the man to an inn and took care of him and paid the innkeeper to nurse him back to health.  One day my brothers found out what my husband was up to and hauled him away.  There were many witnesses who testified against him, my husband was stoned to death.

My fourth husband was a decent man who showed me respect.  However, I was so used to the beatings and rapes I did not make a good wife.  As much as he tried, I could not get past his being nice and I kept expecting him to start to beat me, so I kept my distance.  He finally got fed up with it and left me.  I was without the support of a husband for about five years.  My brother got tired of supporting me and married me off to a very wicked man.  I am not sure how I survived his cruelty.   I was often starved and beaten.  I was not allowed to eat anything I cooked for this new husband.  He kept everything locked up and gave me only enough to cook meals for him.  I was only allowed to eat anything he left on his plate.  Usually, there was nothing left.  Finally, I went to fetch water for the day and fell over faint.  A man came to my rescue.  He took me home and nursed me back to health.  I stayed with him until I learned my husband had died from an illness.  I had no where else to go so I continued to live with this kind man.  I knew I should have married him, but he had two other wives and he did not want a third.  He gave me a room in his house and would visit me at night when he felt like it.  His wives must assume those night he was with the other wife or they would have kicked me out of their home.  I did not care because I was provided for and it felt like I finally found someone who I thought loved me.

A Trip to the Well

One day I went to the well near my home.  I went at noon because I wanted to avoid other women who would come to the well later.  I saw a man sitting by the well and he looked very tired.  There was something different about him, but I could not figure out what it was.  When I approached him, he said “Please give me a drink.”   He was a Jew, yet he spoke to me a Samaritan woman.  That was strange.   I replied “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”  Then he said something I did not understand.  “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.”  How could he give me a drink of living water?  The well is very deep, and he did not have a rope and bucket to drawn water out of the well.   I told him this and asked him “And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”  His reply was even more amazing “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”  He seemed to be talking in riddles, but I had to try so I asked him “Please, sir, give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

He must have realized I still did not understand him, so he changed the subject.  He told me to go get my husband.  I told him I don’t have a husband.  He said “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”  How in the world does he know that?  I said “Sir, you must be a prophet. 20So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”  He said “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”   I am amazed at this man!  I replied to him “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 

He replied to me “I Am the Messiah!”

The Messiah!  I have been talking to the Messiah?  I am in shock!  I cannot believe I talked to Him that way!  No wonder He knew everything about me!  Here come some men who look like they know the Messiah.  I am going back to town and tell everyone the Messiah is here!  When I got back to the village I went to the center and shouted! 

“Everyone come see this man who told me everything I ever did!  He is the Messiah!”  Many people in the town came out of their homes to see what I was shouting about.  They asked, “Where is he?”  I told them he is at Jacob’s well.  Many ran to the well.  He was there still.  They started asking Him questions and He started to teach them many things.  He is wonderful!!!  They invited Him to stay and teach them.  He stayed two more days.  I felt so much joy!  But I knew I could no longer live with the man I had been living with so I asked my widowed cousin if I could live with her.  She seemed so happy I asked.  She is older and needs help.  I want to live a clean life from now on because I have met the Messiah.  Many came to me after the Messiah left and said “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Lessons Learned from Samantha

I cannot imagine what it would be like for Samantha to meet Jesus, the Messiah, that day.  She lived a life of going from one man to another looking for love.  So many abused her.  Even the one who took her in abused her by not marrying her yet enjoying her company.  Yet, one trip to the well she found real love.  Not the romantic love she was looking for but a greater love, an everlasting love.  A love which is more satisfying than any other kind.  She became a changed woman because she met the Messiah!  Have you met the Messiah?

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The Woman at the Well: A Story of Redemption By Barbara Kelly

The Woman at the Well: God’s Better Plan By Amanda Jack