A Fountain Of Water Springing Up

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
[John 4:7-14 NKJV]

This passage from John chapter 4 is a wonderful evocation of the Holy Spirit — indeed the fountain is a powerful Holy Spirit symbol — and we feel refreshed just reading these words.

Again and again, allusions are made to the Holy Spirit — indeed, “in spirit and truth” is mentioned twice here;
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
[John 4:24-26 NKJV]

Water is essential for life. Our bodies are some 70% water and we can survive much longer without food than without water; but no mention is made in this physiological information of the spiritual dimension. How long can we live without spiritual nourishment?

Jesus, as always, provides an answer which transcends the question — not ‘how long can we live without?’, but ‘you will have life everlasting’ — turning a question into a statement. Is it a statement of fact? For the answer to that question, we must travel with Him from Samaria to Galilee.

It takes a long time to realise that God has no respect for anything I bring Him; all He wants from me is unconditional surrender.

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