John 4:25-38 CSB
The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will explain everything to us." [26] Jesus told her, "I, the one speaking to you, am he." [27] Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" [28] Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people, [29] "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" [30] They left the town and made their way to him. [31] In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." [32] But he said, "I have food to eat that you don't know about." [33] The disciples said to one another, "Could someone have brought him something to eat?" [34] "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work," Jesus told them. [35] "Don't you say, 'There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest'? Listen to what I'm telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. [36] The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. [37] For in this case the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' [38] I sent you to reap what you didn't labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor."
Carry the Message
Have you ever been caught talking to someone whom those around you rejected—perhaps those who are scorched by whispers and scorned the moment their backs are turned? In this life, we often find ourselves drifting into one of two roles: we either become the person who judges, or we become the one standing in desperate need of compassion. It is hard to survive in a world filled with smiles that quickly turn to whispers when you walk away.
This environment was even harsher for the woman at the well. In the patriarchal society of Jesus’ time, women held limited rights and were often viewed as inferior, confined strictly to domestic roles. Yet, in the middle of this culture, we find Jesus—the Son of God—intentionally speaking to someone His own disciples considered unworthy of His voice.
It is clear the disciples had not yet learned the deeper lesson: our loving Father cares for every part of His creation. We see this truth established as far back as Genesis 1:27, which tells us that God created both male and female in His own image. They were created with equal dignity, a spiritual reality that is reaffirmed in Galatians 3:28, where we learn that slave and free, male and female, are all spiritually equal when it comes to salvation in Christ.
While the disciples kept a puzzled silence, a conflict was clearly brewing in their minds between the social norms they knew and the radical love Jesus was modeling. Jesus, however, used this internal conflict as a teaching moment to show that He is always more concerned with the Father’s will and the saving of souls than with cultural expectations.
The impact of this exchange with the Messiah was immediate and life-changing. The woman dropped everything—her physical needs, her daily chores, and her water jar—to run and tell others. Her reaction reminds me of when I first came to believe; I could not stop talking about Jesus. I wanted the whole world to know. In those early days, I felt as though I was lifted up into a spiritual cloud that completely transformed my life. The great battle of the Christian walk is often just trying to maintain that “first love” when the weight of the world begins to press back over time.
Because she understood the patriarchal limits of her society, the woman was wise in how she shared her news. She knew that if she tried to “instruct” the men directly, she might inadvertently close their hearts to the message. Instead of preaching a sermon, she simply shared her personal encounter: “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”
There is a vital lesson for us here. Rather than trying to convert people with fine-sounding words or correcting sermons, we should lead with gentle love. It is about sharing our lives and simply telling others what Jesus has done for us. We see this in action when we meet people in prison, work in recovery with the addict, or sit with someone in a nursing home who just needs companionship and heart-to-heart love. So many souls are saved by someone who truly cares enough to provide for a need and share their own journey.
Ultimately, Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that His true “food” was doing the Father’s will. While they were worried about a physical meal, the harvest was already beginning. Because one woman had the courage to tell her story, an entire town was now on its way to find the Savior. The disciples just needed to open their eyes and see the harvest standing right in front of them.
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the woman “left her water jar” (v. 28)? What “jars” or distractions might be keeping you from sharing your story with others?
- Have you ever felt like the disciples, surprised or uncomfortable with the people other Christians choose to spend time with?
- How does the woman’s approach—”Come and see”—differ from a “correcting sermon”? Which approach do you find more effective in your own life?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You for the reminder that Your harvest is ready right now. Forgive us for the times we have judged others or stayed silent because of social norms. Help us to see people as You see them—made in Your image and precious in Your sight. Give us the courage to leave our “jars” behind and simply invite others to “come and see” the One who knows us completely and loves us anyway.
Amen.
