It is the heart that senses God, and not the reason. That is what faith is. God perceptible to the heart and not to reason. BLAISE PASCAL
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. For His disciples had gone away into the city to by food. Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am 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.
JOHN 4:7-10 NASB
Jesus violated tradition when He spoke to the Samaritan woman and asked her for a drink. First of all most Jews did not even travel through Samaria, it would have been like going right through a bad part of town in a major city. We have a tendency to avoid places like that. Its not that the Samaritans were bad or dangerous people, they were of a mixed race, part Jew and part Assyrian, and the Jews had a tradition of keeping to themselves. The next tradition that Jesus could of violated was to take a drink from her vessel or cup. This would have made Jesus unclean in the eyes of tradition. When a Jew became unclean by breaking one of the traditions, or one of the laws that Moses gave them, there was a process they had to go through to become clean again. This involved several rituals and up to several days. I have not once read in the Word of God where Jesus went through any cleansing process. The way I look at it, in His ministry, which lasted three and a half years, He spent a lot of time being unclean. He touched lepers and many who were sick; He touched, spoke to, and fellowshipped with those that had been demon possessed; and He touched the physically dead. But most importantly He touched the spiritually dead. One of which was myself. I searched for many years for spirituality by having a certain diet, doing certain exercises, meditation and chanting. This was very good for my physical well being, but I seemed all alone in my conscious contact with God. I also searched for spirituality by exploring the inner reaches of my mind with drugs. That left a void in my spirit that took several years to begin to heal. It wasnt until I was sitting in jail doing time for a DWI that He touched me. It was something someone else said about Jesus working in their life that moved me closer to God and I allowed Jesus to touch me for the first time. I had known of Jesus from early childhood, but had never allowed myself to get close enough to be touched. Today I dont want to go back to my old way of life, Ive tried and it just doesnt work anymore. What works is daily Letting go, and letting God. Thanks for letting me share, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself .JRE
Share this with me:
Living water. New life through the Spirit. Salvation is a gift from Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Messiah. Notice that Christ asked the woman to receive Him and His Gift without any prerequisite change in her life. After she believed, and because she believed, her way of living would be changed.
RYRIE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD STUDY BIBLE page 1685
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Take care not to frighten away by stern rigor poor sinners who are trying to lay bare the shocking state of their souls. Speak to them rather of the great mercy of God, and make easy for them what is at best a difficult task. Be especially gentle with those who from weakness of age or sex have not the courage to confess the ugly things they have done. Tell them whatever they have to say will be no news to you. Sometimes people are helped by your telling them about your own lamentable past.
FRANCIS XAVIER
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. For His disciples had gone away into the city to by food. Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am 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.
JOHN 4:7-10 NASB
Jesus violated tradition when He spoke to the Samaritan woman and asked her for a drink. First of all most Jews did not even travel through Samaria, it would have been like going right through a bad part of town in a major city. We have a tendency to avoid places like that. Its not that the Samaritans were bad or dangerous people, they were of a mixed race, part Jew and part Assyrian, and the Jews had a tradition of keeping to themselves. The next tradition that Jesus could of violated was to take a drink from her vessel or cup. This would have made Jesus unclean in the eyes of tradition. When a Jew became unclean by breaking one of the traditions, or one of the laws that Moses gave them, there was a process they had to go through to become clean again. This involved several rituals and up to several days. I have not once read in the Word of God where Jesus went through any cleansing process. The way I look at it, in His ministry, which lasted three and a half years, He spent a lot of time being unclean. He touched lepers and many who were sick; He touched, spoke to, and fellowshipped with those that had been demon possessed; and He touched the physically dead. But most importantly He touched the spiritually dead. One of which was myself. I searched for many years for spirituality by having a certain diet, doing certain exercises, meditation and chanting. This was very good for my physical well being, but I seemed all alone in my conscious contact with God. I also searched for spirituality by exploring the inner reaches of my mind with drugs. That left a void in my spirit that took several years to begin to heal. It wasnt until I was sitting in jail doing time for a DWI that He touched me. It was something someone else said about Jesus working in their life that moved me closer to God and I allowed Jesus to touch me for the first time. I had known of Jesus from early childhood, but had never allowed myself to get close enough to be touched. Today I dont want to go back to my old way of life, Ive tried and it just doesnt work anymore. What works is daily Letting go, and letting God. Thanks for letting me share, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself .JRE
Share this with me:
Living water. New life through the Spirit. Salvation is a gift from Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Messiah. Notice that Christ asked the woman to receive Him and His Gift without any prerequisite change in her life. After she believed, and because she believed, her way of living would be changed.
RYRIE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD STUDY BIBLE page 1685
********************
Take care not to frighten away by stern rigor poor sinners who are trying to lay bare the shocking state of their souls. Speak to them rather of the great mercy of God, and make easy for them what is at best a difficult task. Be especially gentle with those who from weakness of age or sex have not the courage to confess the ugly things they have done. Tell them whatever they have to say will be no news to you. Sometimes people are helped by your telling them about your own lamentable past.
FRANCIS XAVIER
thank you for sharing your personal gift of God's grace and love. this is one of the many i call my favorite stories. 
