The Story of the Woman at the Well
The woman at the well’s story begins in John 4 (all Scripture here written in NIV), as Jesus makes his way from Judea through Samaria to get back home to Galilee. Tired from the journey, he sat down to rest next to a well around noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) — John 4:7-8
The woman was surprised by his question. After all, she was a Samaritan woman — and Jews didn’t associate with Samaritans.
Living Water
When she questioned Jesus about his request, he answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).
Again, the woman was puzzled. This man had asked her for a drink — and now he’s saying that he has living water. We can imagine her thoughts: “How can water be living? And what does he mean, ‘gift of God?’ Who does this guy think he is?” Jesus continued:
“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.” — John 4:13
Never thirst again. After hearing this, the woman asked Jesus to give her the water so she wouldn’t be thirsty and have to come back to the well. But Jesus wasn’t talking about physical water — he was talking about spiritual water, the Holy Spirit, a well of life that never runs dry.
To help her see past her physical need, Jesus would inspire her to look deeper: into her longing heart.
Seeing Into Her Heart
Jesus asked the woman to “Go, call your husband and come back” (John 4:16).
“I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” — John 4:17-18
Let’s put ourselves in the woman’s shoes. This seemingly random man, who she did not yet know was Jesus, told her intimate details about her life.
Painful details. Details that made her an outcast in her community. Details that forced her to draw water in the heat of the day, when other women didn’t want to venture out, so she’d be alone. He saw into her heart.
Whether to change the subject away from her pain or to test Jesus, she questioned him further by bringing up a common dispute between Jews and Samaritans — one that had helped create the rift between them.
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” — John 4:19-20
Jesus responded, “Woman, believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:21-22).
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” — John 4:23-24
Perhaps overwhelmed by Jesus’ ability to see what she had done and his eye-opening answer to the dispute, she simply replied, “I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us” (John 4:25).
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you — I am he.” — John 4:26
Seeing the Messiah
This man had asked her, a Samaritan, for a drink. And she had never heard anyone speak like him before. Or look into her heart like he had. He had seen the parts of her she wanted to hide — and he didn’t run away.
Instead, he offered her living water that could quench the thirst she had for something more than the pain and suffering she’d known. Her. The outcast. This man was different. Maybe he could truly be the Messiah. She had to tell someone.
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. — John 4:28-30
Because of her testimony, many Samaritans went to see Jesus. They begged him to stay with them, so he stayed for two days. And as he spent time with them, many Samaritans became believers.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” — John 4:42
Jesus and the Outcast Woman at the Well: 3 Lessons to Learn
What can the woman at the well’s story teach us about Jesus’ heart? Let’s explore a few lessons.
1. Jesus Pursues Us
It was a 70-mile walk to get from Judea to Galilee if you went through Samaria. And that was the shortest route. But because they hated Samaritans, the Jews would often bypass Samaria to avoid its people, adding many more miles to their trip.
But here’s the thing about Jesus: He pursues. The Bible says that Jesus “had to go through Samaria” (John 4:4, NIV). Geographically, he didn’t have to, but spiritually he sure did.
Someone was in desperate need of living water, and he was going to deliver it. Jesus had a mission in Samaria that day, and no cultural, religious or ethnic barrier was going to stop him.
Jesus pursues all of us in the same way. He leaves the 99 sheep to find the one missing (Luke 15:4). He stands at the door and knocks until we answer (Revelation 3:20). And just like the Good Samaritan who walked across the road to mend the broken (Luke 10:33), he steps into places others avoid to come after us.
Truth for Today: No matter who you are, where you are or what you’ve done, Jesus pursues you. There’s nothing that could stand in his way. Not your past. Your bad habits. Your circumstances. He loves you above it all.
2. Jesus Loves the Outcast
Not only was the woman at the well a Samaritan, shunned by the Jews living around her, but she was also an outcast in her own hometown. As we learn in Scripture, the woman was in her sixth serious relationship after five husbands.
Because of this, in first century Israel, her neighbors would have viewed her as a social outcast, a dirty sinner. She would have been rejected by those in her community. And in this time, men were the only ones who could initiate divorce; she had been sent away by five husbands.
While she must’ve been heartbreakingly lonely, she also did what she could to avoid the whispers and in-your-face rejection by going to the well in the heat of the day, when no one else would be there.
But one day, someone would be there: Jesus, the one who loved her despite her past and the opinions of others. So much so that he sought her out and offered the living water her heart so desperately longed for.
Our Jesus is a friend to outcasts and sinners, the ones the world ignores and looks down upon. He ate with tax collectors (Matthew 9:10). He touched and healed the “unclean” (Matthew 8:3). And he pursued and loved the one others saw as just another sinner.
Truth for Today: Maybe you’ve messed up. Maybe you’ve lost a friend. Maybe you feel as if you don’t fit in or you’re too far gone. Know this: No mistake, sin, opinion or circumstance could stop Jesus from loving you. And his living water? It’s for you too.
Related Read: God Is Our Provider: How Jesus Is Everything We Need
3. Jesus Can Use Any Story for His Glory
At the end of the woman at the well’s story, we read something incredible:
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” — John 4:42
Because the woman went into town and shared her testimony, many Samaritans met the Messiah. Jesus partnered with the outcast woman to share the gospel, changing many lives forever.
Jesus doesn’t just forgive us and heal the shame and pain of our pasts. He redeems our stories, using them for his glory. He gives us testimonies we can use to reach others with his never-ending love. What a beautiful exchange!
Truth for Today: What does your story look like? Maybe you’ve overcome an addiction or risen above a past of abuse. Maybe you’ve lived through poverty. Whatever your story, know that it’s not for nothing. While we all suffer pain because of the sinful world we live in, there’s hope and healing in Jesus. He can use for good what was meant for evil.
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. — Genesis 50:20, NIV
Read Marcela’s incredible testimony of God’s faithfulness and purpose.
Jesus as a Friend to Outcasts and Sinners: A Call for Us All
Jesus’ heart is a call for us all. As Christians, we must follow in his footsteps to love the seemingly unlovable, remember the forgotten and see the ignored. In fact, God’s Word gives us this mandate:
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. — Isaiah 1:17, NIV
How can we respond to this call and reflect the heart of Jesus?
See As Jesus Sees
The Bible says that God doesn’t look at our outward appearance. Instead, he looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). Jesus didn’t see a Samaritan woman or a “dirty sinner.” He saw one of his children with a heart in need of hope.
We should see those around us as Jesus sees them: loved, seen and chosen. When we see others in that way, we will naturally want to love and care for them.
Related Read:What Does the Bible Say About Loving Your Neighbor?
Pursue the Outcast
Jesus doesn’t wait for the outcast to come to him. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Jesus actively pursues those in need of love, care and belonging, and we should do the same.
What does this look like in day-to-day life?
Sitting next to the classmate who’s often alone at lunch.
Noticing a co-worker getting ignored in meetings and giving them an opportunity to speak.
Reaching out to a loved one who has been sidelined by the family for their lifestyle choices.
Stopping to say “hello” to the unhoused individual you meet on the corner.
Caring for and encouraging a child living in extreme poverty.
As we pursue and love those others overlook, we point them to Jesus, the One who loves them no matter who they are, where they live or what they’ve done. And just like the woman at the well, they can then use their testimonies to share the good news too.
Jesus changed the world by seeing, loving and pursuing the outcast. We can partner with him to do the same.