Jesus stated facts about the woman at the well, which exposed shame. Jesus knew the woman needed to deal with her immoral life to drink His living water. Women usually came to get water in the morning or evening when it was cooler and not in the middle of the day when it was hot. Scholars also think there was a well closer to the town.[1] The woman at the well seemed to be trying to avoid other women, probably because they would shame her.
Not Accusations But Facts
Jesus stated facts as He told the woman she had five husbands and the man she was currently living with was not her husband. This forced her to look at the mess she was living in. Jesus did not accuse her or enable her lifestyle but kindly stated the truth of her life.
As humans, we tend to go wrong in a couple of ways. First, we may accuse others, which raises their defenses. At this point, they will not listen to what we have to say. The second way we err can be to give excuses and enable them to continue in a destructive lifestyle. From Jesus’ example, we can see that people often respond positively when we state facts, not conjecture and accusation.
Unknown History
Scripture doesn’t tell us the exact history of the woman at the well. We don’t even know her name. All we know is that she came to the well at an unusual time; she had had five husbands, and the man she was living with was not her husband. These facts alone probably kept the village gossips busy.
We assume that the various marriages ended in divorce as being a widow, while sad, would not be shameful. While it is easy to blame the woman, she certainly could have been sinned against by the various men. Did the woman have some emotional trauma in her background, which made it difficult for her to form lasting emotional bonds? How much of her chaotic life was of her own doing? We don’t know, but her life was in a mess. She knew it, and now the strange man at the well also knew it.
Jesus Offers a Solution
The woman was looking for a way out of her shame, and Jesus’s offer of living water seemed to offer relief at one level. But Jesus knew her need was much deeper. She had to admit her sin before she could accept the living water of salvation. It would require confession and repentance so Jesus could restore her emotionally and spiritually. Disobedience to the law brought condemnation, but Messiah Jesus would pay the price for our sin and bring grace.
Paul commented on this reversal. Galatians 3: 8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith… 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.[2]
Jesus desires that we, too, would leave our lives of shame. We can confess and repent of our sins, and Jesus promises to forgive. We obtain the gift of salvation by faith; we can’t earn it. As we come to Jesus, He can restore us spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Jesus will heal exposed shame. To find out more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-woman-at-the-well
[1] Barton, B. B. (1993). John (p. 78). Tyndale House.
[2] Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.