Mensa Otabil - A New Zeal (10/31/2025)
We’re still in John’s Gospel, chapter 4. It’s been quite a study of Jesus’s encounter with a Samaritan woman by the well, and the conversation has arrived at Jesus revealing himself as the Messiah, as the Savior of the world. When he did, something happened to this woman.
John chapter 4, verses 28 to 30: Then the woman left her water pot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, «Come, see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?» Then they went out of the city and came to him. This woman didn’t know much; she didn’t know a lot of theology, but she had had an experience, an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. If you look at the zeal with which she witnessed the Gospel and shared her testimony, telling people what had happened to her, then for those of us who know so much of the Bible, we have a lot of work to do to make Christ known to other people.
The moment Jesus said to her, «I am,» she dropped her water pot. Remember, this is how the conversation started. She came with her water pot to the well to fetch water, and this is what she wanted — water from a well. Jesus said, «I will give you living water.» She asked, «Where? How can you give me living water?» Then the conversation turned into her personal life, and it became a religious argument. Jesus finally spoke about what true worship is and revealed himself as the Messiah to this woman. Immediately upon reaching that point, she left her water pot. Why did she do that? It was no longer important to her. She had found the reason for life; she had found what she was looking for. It’s not just about water to drink but about water to nourish her soul and spirit and to bring her into a relationship with God Almighty. When she found that relationship, everything else had to be left behind.
That’s what happens when we find Christ as Lord: everything else is left so we can pursue him and make him known. She left her water pot at the well, and Jesus, at the well, went back to the city. Remember, she was trying to avoid people in the city because of her circumstances, her life story. But she goes back, and the Bible clearly states she went to the men of the city. There must be a reason why she went to them- either the women were not there, or the men were the ones who had made her life miserable. Five of them had married her and thrown her away; the sixth one was with her. She goes to these men; I’m sure she approached husband number one, husband number two, husband number three, husband number four, and husband number five, to number six she was living with, saying, «Come see a real man, the one who really gave me what I’m looking for. I’m looking for peace for my soul, a sense of worth, dignity, and this man gave me dignity. He knew all about me but didn’t condemn me. He didn’t treat me like trash; he had a decent conversation with me, took his time to explain God to me. Come and see such a person for yourself. Could he be the Christ?»
The reason why this woman had this experience that touched her so much was the way Jesus treated her. People would not have given her a chance, but Jesus gave her a chance. Many times, those of us who preach the Gospel use it as a hammer to knock people’s heads, criticize them, destroy them, and threaten them. But Jesus didn’t do any of that. He knew so much about her sordid past but treated her with respect and dignity. The preacher of the Gospel must respectfully and honorably make Christ known. We must treat people well when we present the Gospel to them, and that is why she could say, «Come see a real man. He doesn’t use my weaknesses against me; he brings me to a place of dignity, honor, and a relationship with God that satisfies my heart’s desire.» May we encounter Christ as she did, and may we become true ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, thank you for saving me. Help me to tell others about how you saved me from sin. In Jesus’s name, amen and amen.