“Leaving Your Water Jar Behind…”

I love the story of the Samaritan Woman. I love the grace and hope that flows through this story. 

Earlier this year, I wrote about her encounter with Jesus and the lessons I was shown through their interactions. The verses I focused on were from John 4:1-26; if you haven’t read Grace - What I Wish I Knew in High School yet, I want to encourage you to pause to go read about the verses that led to the moments I want to share with you today. 

I will be focusing on John 4:27-42 and want to ask that you open your bible and read these verses (or even start back at verse 1) before continuing. I love when writers encourage their readers to get into the Word and seek their own connections/receive new revelations. Doing this has done so much for my faith and excitement to get into His word. 

Did you read it? I hope so! Now let’s jump back in. 

“Then leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?’”

John 4:28-29

Let’s focus on the first 5 words: “Then, leaving her water jar…” In this time, the water jar was a necessity; without it, she would not have been able to draw the water that she needed to survive. And yet, she left it behind.

Why? Because she was given THE Living Water!

She found something that gave her life in a way she never thought possible, eternal life found only through Christ. 

When we look at this figuratively, the water jar represents 2 things. It represents her past and it represents everything she thought she wanted and needed. But when she found the One who forgave her of her past and provided her with the only thing she needed (Him), then she dropped it and left it behind. 

Using the words from Sophia in Golden Girls: “Picture it”, Samaria, the hottest time of the day and you are going to get to water, a necessity. But instead you meet JESUS! And He shows you a grace that you have never experienced before. The excitement and relief that covers you causes you to drop everything you thought you needed, leave it behind, and run to share the Good News; HIM!

I want to pause in this moment a little longer and look at shame. This woman, like so many of us, had experienced shame in her life and was carrying it up to this moment… the moment of meeting Jesus. She shows her shame in hiding the truth about her past relationships; we aren’t told exactly why she has had 5 husbands or why the man she was with at that time wasn’t her husband (v. 16-18), but it’s evident that those experiences have filled her with shame. 

Does she not have any other women she completes this chore with? Why doesn’t she go during the cooler times of the day? 

To me, her shame becomes very clear as we ponder these questions. 

Then it happens; Jesus reveals Himself and her perspective of her shame is shifted! And even though she is just at the beginning of her experience of grace, she begins to acknowledge the freedom, forgiveness, and grace she has received through Him, through His words!

This moment changed her life and freed her from her shame. 

How do we know she is freed from her shame? Let’s unpause this moment and move back to verses 28b - 29. 

“…the women went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?’”

Instead of living in her shame, she began to glorify the freedom Christ gave her OVER her shame. She confronted those she had hidden from for so long and even more, she shouted about Jesus knowing ALL she has ever done….ALL her shame!

Shame didn’t have hold over her anymore; she spoke of it freely because, just like her water jar, she left it behind!

Just like the Samaritan woman, God is calling you to leave your water jar behind; leave your shame behind and step into his redeeming love, His freedom. All He needs is ONE moment to show you who you are in Him.

And when you do this, when you give Him that moment and receive His living water, oh how beautiful it will be. 

Christ wants to release you from your shame and see you leave your water jar behind. If you aren’t sure where to start, I want to encourage you to pray the following prayer with me:

Jesus, I thank You for meeting me in this moment. Just as you told the Samaritan woman all she had ever done, I know that I can’t hide what I’ve done from You. Even in her shame, You welcomed her, You loved her, and You were patient with her as she began to understand who You are. I thank You for meeting me in this moment, the moment where I feel as though my past shame has consumed me - but You bring me fresh breath. Your breath, breathed in me. 

In this moment, I receive Your freedom over my past shame. I drop my water jar, leaving it behind. I will move to those around me that I have been hiding from and shout about Your freedom in my life; freedom that I am grabbing ahold of, just as the Samaritan woman did! 

Thank You for this freedom and thank You for Your Living Water; I know I will never thirst gain. 

I pray all of this in Your name and for Your glory! Amen.