Last week, I spoke of how we can read John as a series of witnesses speaking of Jesus. Our Gospel this morning retells the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well outside of Sychar. I hope that the way it was presented help illustrate the dynamic nature of John's account. How his evidence for Jesus divinity comes in the interplay of the dialogue between Jesus and his companion.

But before we look more deeply at this account, it is worthwhile to explore some background.

To our ears, the story seems tame, but here we find Jesus breaking a number of taboo's. The Samaritans were the descendants of the people forcibly settled in the land of Israel after the nation had been taken into exile by the Assyrians. (Around 721BC). They had experienced difficulties, and concluded that it was as a result of dishonouring the God's of the land, and so some Jews were sent to teach them about God. They came to a religion based on the first five books of the Old Testament, and centred on the mount Gerizim, The mountain upon which Elijah had his battle with the prophets of Baal (but that is another story).

To the Jews, the Samaritans were heretics, to be avoided at all cost and the symbol of all that is contemptible. .A devout Jew would not drink from the same cup as a Samaritan for fear of contamination.

But more than this a woman was more contemptible than a Samaritan. A Jewish man would not speak to a strange woman and more than this the fact that this woman went to the well in the heat of the day and not in the cool of the morning and evening meant that she was an outcast from the Samaritan women as well. I guess that there is some sort of logic in this as she had had five husbands and was now living with another man, although not married. Even in these times, there would be difficulty in praising her character. (Unless of course she was Elizabeth Taylor).

So the scene is that Jesus is tired and waits for his disciples to return with food and this woman turns up. She expects Jesus to ignore her as she is a nothing, a nobody but he speaks.

This is important, that we get right into the scene. To feel the characters and their strengths and weaknesses. The sub plots, the things going on below the surface. This is the wonderful power of John's gospel as he calls these living witnesses forward. If you haven't quite got into it yet, then perhaps you could take some time in this coming weak to read the story again, and to meditate upon it. If you think that meditation is to much to ask, then just sit and think about it.

Now I would like to move on from this scene into the present. For as much as we can gain from the reading of Scripture, there is always the need to put it into practice, to apply it to now.

Now I haven't tried to do it, but to tease out the various parts of this story, I guess there is enough for five or ten sessions. For today, I would like just to think about what this can teach us in being God's people. About bringing the good news (The Easter Story) to the people we live amongst. This is evangelism.

Let us begin at the beginning - It would be wrong to think of this as a chance encounter. Jesus had a divine appointment with this woman. Undergirding all our work for Jesus must be this sense that God is leading us to those whom we encounter. In God's economy, there is no such thing as a chance encounter.

Jesus could have easily allowed his prejudices to be excuses to remain silent. A Samaritan, a woman, an outcast. All good reasons not to speak. But he did…… And in doing so broke down the barriers. How often do we leave the barriers up and walk away saying nothing.

But what did he say. "Give me a drink". In doing so, he gave her a position of power. She could meet his need and so returned to have self worth. How often do we refuse to surrender ourselves so that others can meet our needs? It is hard to admit dependence and so much easier to give and control the other. And so then he aroused her curiosity with a statement that made no sense - No sense that is in an earthly conversation, but he shifted the conversation to heavenly things. How often do we deal with people only on the earthly plain. We talk of the weather and our families, but do talk in plain conversation about the activities of God in our lives? (And I deliberately say we, because I know that this is one of my failings) It is so easy to talk about the superficial.

Now think of what happened. Jesus brought into the scene the spiritual dimension, and here he discovered that she had some thoughts on the issue. She was a nobody, and her life style had isolated her from others and from the religious community and yet she had thoughts and feelings about these things. Deep longings to discover the true meaning of life and the promised Messiah. The mixed messages she had received from the Jews and her people had left her confused and she want to meet the Messiah but she did not know how. Jesus showed her the answer in the words - I am he, the one who is speaking to you.

And her response - to get the others, and to speak out boldly about Jesus. Her testimony drew others to Jesus and so as they heard, they to put their faith in him, not based on her testimony but on their own experience.

Sometimes, the most unlikely person is the instrument that God will use. Think now for a moment about the unlikely people that we have in our district. Ask God to lay a name on your heart to pray for. Now covenant with me, that each time you think of that person or meet them in the street, that you silently pray to God, Father draw …… to yourself.

There is only one danger in all this.. That God might be asking us to speak on his behalf, so pray also for the courage to hear him, to breakdown the barriers and to speak on his behalf. AMEN.