“No man was ever kept out of heaven for his confessed badness, but many are for their supposed goodness,”
–Richard Capel (1586–1656)
The story of the Samaritan woman is the story of a soul who was sought after by the Lord Jesus and gloriously converted to him. To compare her encounter with Jesus to Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus is a study in contrasts. What contrasts do you see between those two encounters? What similarities? The greatest contrast is the result of the two encounters. With Nicodemus, there is uncertainty regarding his conversion (although I think we see evidence of it later in the gospel). With the Samaritan woman, there is more certainty. She leaves Jesus not carrying her water jar but carrying back to town something much more precious, a testimony about Jesus. John the beloved disciple records a detail that speaks to the eyewitness quality of the gospel, “So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.” (John 4:28-30)
She left her water jar and returned to the town. Why did she leave that water jar? The text does not tell us for sure, but commentators are not short of answers. We will take Matthew Henry’s comments as representative:
Notice is taken of her leaving her water-pot or pail. (1.) She left it in kindness to Christ, that he might have water to drink; he turned water into wine for others, but not for himself. Compare this with Rebecca’s civility to Abraham’s servant (Gen. 24:18), and see that promise, Mt. 10:42. (2.) She left it that she might make the more haste into the city, to carry thither these good tidings. Those whose business it is to publish the name of Christ must not encumber or entangle themselves with any thing that will retard or hinder them therein. When the disciples are to be made fishers of men they must forsake all. (3.) She left her water-pot, as one careless of it, being wholly taken up with better things.
M. Henry, One Vol. Comm., 1938
I am inclined to agree with his first observation. She was serving the Lord and demonstrating her new affection for him by leaving the jar. It reminds me of another woman, the mother-in-law of Simon Peter, when, upon being healed by Jesus, rose and began to serve him and his disciples: “Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.” (Mark 1:30-31)
Today, what will you leave behind as you serve the Lord? What will you place at his disposal as a demonstration of your renewed affection for him? Have a blessed week and we will see many of you on Sunday. D. V.
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Dale