Wells in Our Life

“So [Jesus] came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “’Give me a drink.’”

John 4:5-7

Wells not only played a vital role in ancient societies, but they also have particular significance in the Bible, especially in Genesis. The well that Jesus visited in John 4 was called ‘Jacob’s well’ because the great patriarch himself bought the land on which it stood. This well had been part of the living memory of Jews and Samaritans for nearly 2,000 years.

Wells were gathering places, where people came and went, sharing stories about their lives with those who walked with them. They were places of refreshment and renewal — without water there is no life, and so, those who carried water back into the community were bringing with them an essential element to human life and flourishing.

Though we may not have to go to a well for water every day, there are still wells of another sort in our lives today. These ‘wells’ are places of gathering, of joy and sharing, but for some of us, they can be places of isolation; they can be found outside the village, outside of what we consider “safe.” These can be found both in our community (where people still come together), and can also be found deep within our souls. A well is where you go to find life, to be nourished, and that is as much a spiritual reality as it is a physical one.

It’s around these modern-day wells that Jesus appears once again. He shows up in the unlikeliest of places, among the unlikeliest of people, and yet what is true for them is also true for us: if the door of our heart is just open ever so slightly, our Lord will perceive that and bring about His redemption and renewal in our lives. And then we might see that living water pour from us into our neighborhood and beyond.

This is a gift Jesus gave to the Samaritan woman at the well, and He continues to offer it to all those whose hearts are open to Him. He offers it to outsiders, to enemies, to sinners, and somewhere within that list, we can find ourselves. Just as the woman was transformed into a well of living water, drawing others into Jesus’ saving embrace, so, by God’s grace, is that true for us today as well.