TODAY IN THE WORD
The poet William Cowper captured the truth contained in today’s passage: “Jesus, where’er thy people meet, There they behold thy mercy-seat; Where’er they seek thee, thou art found, And every place is hallowed ground.”

John records that it was the sixth hour, or noon, when Jesus and His disciples arrived in the Samaritan town of Sychar. They were tired, hungry, and thirsty. (This account underscores Jesus’ genuine humanity.) It’s significant that the Samaritan woman was alone, because usually women went together to draw water at a cooler time of day. This suggests that this woman was somehow ostracized.

The separation between Jews and Samaritans began with the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah (931 b.c.). The Samaritans considered Mount Gerizim to be the true place of worship, whereas the Jews looked to Jerusalem.

Some Jews even maintained that Samaritan women were in a perpetual state of defilement, so the woman’s surprise at Jesus’ request is understandable (v. 9). But Jesus redirected the conversation to the spiritual plane. Water was essential in this dry land, and “living water” referred to running water as opposed to water from a cistern. Yet Jesus clearly intended a double meaning, because living water also referred to eternal life (vv. 13, 14). Of course, the woman thought that Jesus somehow intended to draw from the spring that fed Jacob’s well.

She was still thinking in earthly terms, so Jesus changed to another topic to help her see her spiritual need. As soon as the woman understood Jesus to be a prophet, she immediately brought up religious differences. Once again, Jesus shifted the conversation and revealed that true worship was not about where, but about how. God is Spirit, and He requires spiritual worship–not sacrifices and physical acts, but a surrendered heart and willing obedience.

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many people, like the Samaritan woman, mistakenly think that the where of worship is more important than the how or Who of worship. We do need to meet together regularly with other believers and hear God’s Word preached. But true worship of the living God isn’t confined to a place and time, such as Sunday morning. Our worship of the Lord is meant to fill every day, wherever we are. We can worship Him in our cars, on the commuter train, in our offices, in our homes . . . anywhere and everywhere!

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