31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
At first I thought this part of the passage was not as important until I looked further. What seems like such a simple request from the disciples is turned into a lesson on the will of God.
About God: God uses the smallest, most common things to teach us about Him which is nice because He makes it where I can understand it. 🙂
About Me: I need to work on being more aware of how these little things are meant to teach me so much more.
About people and environment: Every interaction with God's creation has the potential to teach me more about who God is.
This is exciting because every ordinary day can be extraordinary when I pay attention.🔍
One phrase that comes to mind is, “God ordains the ordinary.” It is often through ordinary everyday things that God is moving and working in our lives!
It’s a condition (hunger/thirst) we can all connect to. What’s mysterious is how in the end he seems energized without taking food or water. What’s going on there?
I wonder if it’s important that it was “noon” when he met the woman at the well. What is the significance here?
This passage shows God’s love for EVERYONE. He saved an entire people because he stepped out and talked to one person... someone he “shouldn’t” have been associating with.
I’d like to think that my life (for the most part), my actions and my love share God with others, but when is this last time I shared MY story with someone who needed it?
We are called as God’s people to share the good news to those around us. Every. Day. And this seems a bit daunting... but what an amazing thing to know that because someone heard your story, they then looked to Jesus for themselves, and now are saved! So worth it!!
Great observation! Some cultural context is helpful here. People would have gone to draw water from the well in the mornings and the evenings as to avoid the hottest part of the day. Getting water was intensive work as you had to carry it in jugs with you. For a person to go at noon means they are going at a time no one else is going…
It’s my understanding that noon is significant because women normally got water early in the mornings before the heat of the day. So the presumption is that this woman is trying to avoid the other community women by coming to the well at noon - because she wanted to get water in solitude perhaps because she was considered an adulterer. So she was avoiding scorn/judgement by avoiding contact at the well. This allows Jesus to have a one on one conversation with her. These details are hard for us to see because our culture is so different. It’s a great observation to pick up on.
Completely agree! It makes me wonder what patterns of behavior have I changed out of shame or to avoid confrontation but is the very thing that Jesus wants to have a conversation with me about.
I just love the humanness of Jesus in this story. And it really confirms how God truly does "ordain the ordinary". So often our daily lives could be perceived as just the same mundane pattern....day in and day out....get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed, do it all over the next day. Over the years, I've worked to be aware of and appreciate ordinary things in my day, and consciously stop and ask God how to use this ordinary event. It also helps me to remember to be grateful for so many very ordinary blessings! Remembering every day that God uses the everyday ordinary things helps me remember to see joy and opportunity in every moment.
I'm sure that the woman at the well didn't have any idea that her ordinary and very regular and mundane day would end up changing her life and the lives of other Samaritans.
I spent some time trying to figure it out and eventually ended up reading some different translations and some commentary.
Jesus left Judea because he wanted to avoid conflict from the Pharisees?. Him and John had no problems.
It’s interesting to me that the woman was also avoiding conflict by visiting the well around noon.
As a passive people pleaser I really hope the lesson is to avoid conflict but then I watch Jesus engage in a hard conversation “you have had five husbands”
* I wish I knew His tone here... I wish I knew his tone every time He speaks!!?
What do we learn about God?
He engages us in hard spaces and knows our deepest hurts and shame and still loves us.
What does it mean about me/humans?
I need to step up and embrace the messy hard bits of community and life because that is how to truly show love sometimes.
*but also if the timing isn’t right you can leave Judea and face that conflict later!!?
I can’t really see anything that seems unimportant in this section.
What it tells me about God?
God meets us where we are. Jesus could’ve gone around Samaria as was customary for Jews so it seems intentional that he is there at this well to meet this woman.
I notice that she asks a lot of questions once Jesus opens up that space to talk. I love how he is patiently joining her process the information. He doesn’t shame her or treat her as an outcast. He invites her in. Her reaction is evidence that he has changed her. Before she is avoiding contact with others and after she is running towards people to testify about him. What an amazing turn!
What does it tell me about me/the human condition?
Sin, shame, fear are isolating and Jesus can heal that and bring us back into community. It’s ok to ask questions. He has answers.
What is my responsibility?
I think to recognize that we all have things that isolate us and to be open to being part of healing as we see Jesus do here. What can I do to share living water to people who are struggling with sin/shame/fear?
How can I be available to have Jesus work through me for others?
27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?”
My main thoughts as I read this passage was wow, the disciples are running an errand and miss the entire interaction with the woman. How often am I so busy doing what I “should” be that I miss what I “could” be doing?
And then they do not ask or question Jesus interacting with the woman, out of fear? Confusion? They were “astonished” but glossed over it. Yet, Jesus takes their concern about his eating and redirects their focus. Where do I need to redirect my focus? How can I be the one to help those around me redirect, gain their focus on Jesus too?
My distractions are just that, and I know I can’t avoid them completely but I need to be open to what God is calling me to do, His desired path for me.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
At first I thought this part of the passage was not as important until I looked further. What seems like such a simple request from the disciples is turned into a lesson on the will of God.
About God: God uses the smallest, most common things to teach us about Him which is nice because He makes it where I can understand it. 🙂
About Me: I need to work on being more aware of how these little things are meant to teach me so much more.
About people and environment: Every interaction with God's creation has the potential to teach me more about who God is.
This is exciting because every ordinary day can be extraordinary when I pay attention.🔍
One phrase that comes to mind is, “God ordains the ordinary.” It is often through ordinary everyday things that God is moving and working in our lives!
After the past several years, I have a whole new appreciation for the ordinary. 🙂
“This is exciting because every ordinary day can be extraordinary when I pay attention”
Yes! I think you nailed it with this statement!
Also you know what’s funny about this story is that even tho Jesus is both thirsty and hungry, he never drinks or eats!
Right! I get cranky if I miss a meal. I think that's why I was drawn to this part. I just want him to eat something. 🤣
It’s a condition (hunger/thirst) we can all connect to. What’s mysterious is how in the end he seems energized without taking food or water. What’s going on there?
I wonder if it’s important that it was “noon” when he met the woman at the well. What is the significance here?
This passage shows God’s love for EVERYONE. He saved an entire people because he stepped out and talked to one person... someone he “shouldn’t” have been associating with.
I’d like to think that my life (for the most part), my actions and my love share God with others, but when is this last time I shared MY story with someone who needed it?
We are called as God’s people to share the good news to those around us. Every. Day. And this seems a bit daunting... but what an amazing thing to know that because someone heard your story, they then looked to Jesus for themselves, and now are saved! So worth it!!
Great observation! Some cultural context is helpful here. People would have gone to draw water from the well in the mornings and the evenings as to avoid the hottest part of the day. Getting water was intensive work as you had to carry it in jugs with you. For a person to go at noon means they are going at a time no one else is going…
After hearing these replies, I now recall you preaching about this one Sunday. Now that I’ve heard it multiple times, it should stick 🤪
It’s my understanding that noon is significant because women normally got water early in the mornings before the heat of the day. So the presumption is that this woman is trying to avoid the other community women by coming to the well at noon - because she wanted to get water in solitude perhaps because she was considered an adulterer. So she was avoiding scorn/judgement by avoiding contact at the well. This allows Jesus to have a one on one conversation with her. These details are hard for us to see because our culture is so different. It’s a great observation to pick up on.
Completely agree! It makes me wonder what patterns of behavior have I changed out of shame or to avoid confrontation but is the very thing that Jesus wants to have a conversation with me about.
Indeed! So maybe when we feel isolated we might want to look for Gods engagement with us on why we are alone.
I just love the humanness of Jesus in this story. And it really confirms how God truly does "ordain the ordinary". So often our daily lives could be perceived as just the same mundane pattern....day in and day out....get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed, do it all over the next day. Over the years, I've worked to be aware of and appreciate ordinary things in my day, and consciously stop and ask God how to use this ordinary event. It also helps me to remember to be grateful for so many very ordinary blessings! Remembering every day that God uses the everyday ordinary things helps me remember to see joy and opportunity in every moment.
I'm sure that the woman at the well didn't have any idea that her ordinary and very regular and mundane day would end up changing her life and the lives of other Samaritans.
I absolutely got caught up on v.1 😅
I spent some time trying to figure it out and eventually ended up reading some different translations and some commentary.
Jesus left Judea because he wanted to avoid conflict from the Pharisees?. Him and John had no problems.
It’s interesting to me that the woman was also avoiding conflict by visiting the well around noon.
As a passive people pleaser I really hope the lesson is to avoid conflict but then I watch Jesus engage in a hard conversation “you have had five husbands”
* I wish I knew His tone here... I wish I knew his tone every time He speaks!!?
What do we learn about God?
He engages us in hard spaces and knows our deepest hurts and shame and still loves us.
What does it mean about me/humans?
I need to step up and embrace the messy hard bits of community and life because that is how to truly show love sometimes.
*but also if the timing isn’t right you can leave Judea and face that conflict later!!?
I can’t really see anything that seems unimportant in this section.
What it tells me about God?
God meets us where we are. Jesus could’ve gone around Samaria as was customary for Jews so it seems intentional that he is there at this well to meet this woman.
I notice that she asks a lot of questions once Jesus opens up that space to talk. I love how he is patiently joining her process the information. He doesn’t shame her or treat her as an outcast. He invites her in. Her reaction is evidence that he has changed her. Before she is avoiding contact with others and after she is running towards people to testify about him. What an amazing turn!
What does it tell me about me/the human condition?
Sin, shame, fear are isolating and Jesus can heal that and bring us back into community. It’s ok to ask questions. He has answers.
What is my responsibility?
I think to recognize that we all have things that isolate us and to be open to being part of healing as we see Jesus do here. What can I do to share living water to people who are struggling with sin/shame/fear?
How can I be available to have Jesus work through me for others?
27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?”
My main thoughts as I read this passage was wow, the disciples are running an errand and miss the entire interaction with the woman. How often am I so busy doing what I “should” be that I miss what I “could” be doing?
And then they do not ask or question Jesus interacting with the woman, out of fear? Confusion? They were “astonished” but glossed over it. Yet, Jesus takes their concern about his eating and redirects their focus. Where do I need to redirect my focus? How can I be the one to help those around me redirect, gain their focus on Jesus too?
My distractions are just that, and I know I can’t avoid them completely but I need to be open to what God is calling me to do, His desired path for me.