Chapter 10—The Woman of Samaria
As Jesus pursued his way to Galilee, his course lay through
Samaria. He embraced every opportunity to teach as he traveled on
foot from place to place. The Saviour was weary, and he sat on Jacob’s
well to rest, while his disciples went in search of food with which to
refresh themselves and their Master. As he sat there alone, a woman
of Samaria drew near as if unconscious of his presence; but his eye
was upon her, and after she had drawn the water he asked her to give
him a drink.
The Samaritan woman was surprised at this request from a Jew,
and answered, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me,
which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with
the Samaritans.” Jesus answered, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and
who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked
of him, and he would have given thee living water.” He here referred
to the divine grace which he alone could bestow, and which is as living
water, purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul.
But the woman’s understanding did not comprehend the meaning
of Christ; she supposed that he was speaking of the well before them,
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and answered, “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is
deep; from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater
than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof
himself?” She saw before her only a weary, thirsty traveler, wayworn
and dusty; and her mind instinctively compared this humble stranger
with the great and worthy Jacob.
Jesus did not immediately satisfy the woman in regard to himself,
but with solemn earnestness said, “Whosoever drinketh of this water
shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in
him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The woman looked upon him with wondering attention; he had
succeeded in arousing her interest and inspiring respect for himself.
She now perceived that it was not the water of Jacob’s well to which
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