LESSON 3 - JESUS CHRIST MEETING WITH THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

We have already done the lesson one and two of this topic. Taking our minds back, in our first lesson, we saw that we are not to be afraid to ask for help if we need it and we learned that when Jesus asked or made the first approach for help by asking for water. Our second lesson also tells us not to use or set boundaries around us since we will be missing a lot of goodies and that was also evident when the Samarian woman asked Jesus how a Jew should ask a Samarian woman for water.

This post lead us to our third lesson and we shall base it on John 4:11 [The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?] with the title looking beyond limitations.
From our verse or from the story Jesus was sitting at the well alone. It was true that He had nothing to fetch the water for Himself and this was what the woman wanted to explore or take advantage of or it was what the woman saw as a limitation or short fall on Jesus Christ.
Let us take notice of some aspects of the statement made by the woman. First, she asked Jesus what tool or equipment He was going to use to fetch the water. Now in life we face similar issues. We come to a point where honestly we have nothing. Even if we were to enter into a barter deal and exchange goods for goods or services for services, we have nothing to do the exchange. We have nothing to draw the water and we are seen as such by people around us. Let us leave the case of Jesus Christ aside and look into our own lives. Sure we are followers of Jesus Christ and Jesus was at the well without anything to draw the water from the well. I am forced to say that some of us are living in this world without anything in hand to draw water. Good and I agree God will make a way where there seems to be no way but I am afraid some of us are not prepared at all in life. We walk to the solutions to our problems without anything to take a bite home. There is hunger or thirst in your house and you walk to a well without even a cup to fetch any for the house. Some of us move about unprepared in life. Should the unexpected happen, we are always found wanting. When we are needed to step in and be a solution we end up becoming a problem because we are unprepared. Blessings come and most of us are unprepared as well. Vacancies are being announced everyday but because we are not prepared we end up loosing or missing the oppurtunity and it only showcase how poorly organised we are in this life. Already we have been told that Jesus Christ or the Son of Man shall come back like a thief and the big question is how prepared or organised are you?

Another aspect we want to look at is the woman admitting that the well was deep. It was the truth as it was and there is no problem telling the tuth about the depth of the well but if the well was indeed deep, who should be warning the other to be careful between a man and a woman? Indeed the well was deep for the woman.We all or may be having a well in our lifes but the question I want to ask is how deep is the well? From the point I want to come from, the well is not just a well with water. The well can be a problem you are going through, it can be a marriage well, educational well, relationship well, financial well, religious well etc. No matter how deep the well maybe, I am glad to tell you that there is a Man standing by ready to help. He is ready to fetch from that well for you. Do you think the well in your life is too deep for Christ to fetch from? Is the problem too much for God to handle or come in? You have been going to the well always with a bucket tied to a rope to fetch but today I want you to look beyond that boundry of bucket and rope water fetching mechanism and trust God. Yes He may appear to you without any tool in His hand to fetch or without any bucket but look beyond what seems to be the last resort. Look over the boundry or limit.

We serve a God of possibilities. Jesus Christ offered to help the woman out of her troubles so that there will be no need for her to be coming to the well everyday to fetch water and the Samaritan woman asked Jesus how He was going to solve her problem. She said to Jesus, you have nothing to use to help me and moreover my problem is very big. I have a big problem Jesus, the well is deep. My problem is not an easy one she admits and we face similar issues in life but all I want to say is look beyond what seems to be the limitations, last stop or boundry. The solution you are adopting is not the only way. There is another option.

If you are considering an option and ninety-nine points say no, take a bold step and consider that one point that says yes. Look beyond your boundries.

......Enjoy a blessed Easter and I pray the death on the cross by our saviour becomes significant to you and watch out for Lesson 4.

LESSON 2 - JESUS MEETING WITH THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

[John 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, 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]

The above verse ushers us into our second motivational/inspirational lesson we are trying as much as possible with direction from above to extract from the story about Jesus Christ meeting with the Samarian woman at the well.
Now from the verse, we see clearly the woman setting boundries around her self by the use of her ethnicity or place she is coming from. First she meets Jesus Christ who tried to start a conversation by asking for water only for Jesus to be told that because of where He is coming from, it is not possible for Him to be served the water.

The behaviour/nature/character or attitude of the Samarian woman is still present with us. It is in our homes, schools, work places and even in the church. In the church, we do not want some people to sit by us or we sitting by them. We are selective and want to sit by or with people we already know. At work, some managers or even recruitment officers are not employing some people simply because the applicants are not from their country, town, church etc. We see ourselves not to have any dealings with them.

Sometimes, such words are really hurting. When you were in high school or college, was there a guy or lady that you loved or liked as a friend but you were stopped from going further because of his or her family background or were you stopped from marrying someone because your family did not like the others family? Sometimes, it is not just about not coming from the same family background. I remember when I was in my high school going age I heard some parents telling their children not to associate themselves with other children who are not academically good. In Ghana, some people prefer to marry from a particular tribe and not from others. I am thinking the misunderstanding between the Samaritans/Samarians and the Jews was there before the woman was born or grew. I am sure she was born into it but instead of correcting that when she applied the rule and followed the tradition. Some of us want to continue the ways of our families without even trying to know why. Your parents are not on talking terms with your neighbours. Instead of you asking your parents why they have no dealings with people from some tribe etc, we grow into it and continue the "tradition". Those who were really involved are gone. The innocent are suffering.

We have formed or created artificial boundries around us using a character or nature of being selective and unnecessary seperation tactics placing ourselves in a "high" position whiles seeing others as either inferior or "not our class" as the foundation. The boundry or wall you have built around you is driving people away. The poor, needy, sick, oppressed, disappointed, widow, orphan as well as the good or blessed ones are around waiting to come to you. God sent His son Jesus Christ to save us all. He came for all of us with no limitations. The sinful, righteous, sick, healthy, poor, rich or wealthy, tall, short, fat, thin and humans from all walks of life were welcome. Jesus was not selective when feeding the 5000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes so if really God created us in His own image and that the spirit of God is in us, why should we greet some people at the office whiles passing by others without even saying a word and even trying as much as we can not to have anything to do with them? Why should we distribute or share food during festive seasons to some particular people leaving the rest out knowing very well they are in need? Why should you drive your kids to school and pass by fellow children who are in the same school with your kids walking or standing by the road side simply because you as a parent you have nothing or no dealings with them?

Lesson 2: Setting boundries around us do us no good. Not only does it limit us in our exploration but it prevents us from receiving the good things others have for us.