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Scriptures from the Holy Bible, King James (Authorised) Version of 1611
Gospel of John, chapter 4, verses 22-29




22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

Holy Bible -- King James Version


Selah (Pause, and consider these things)
By Leonard L Hamilton Jr, Encouraging Words Ministries

This passage, known as "The Woman at the Well" to most Christians, holds several messages that may not be readily apparent. To demonstrate a few...

1) The woman says that she knows "Messias" is coming, and that he would "tell us all things". True, but she apparently thought "all things" ended with Jesus revealing what he knew of her. Therefore, she tells the men "he told me all the things that I ever did" and asks "is this not the Christ?" What had she previously been told about the Lord; did she understand it? Did she know he would be put to death for her sin, so that she might be spared that awful penalty? Who, or What, did she think "Messias" was?

2) The Lord isn't speaking to the woman as much as to us, who read and study His Word. He is, I think, saying "ye worhip ye know not what" because many don't fully comprehend duty before Him, as His servants.

3) Transcending time, and therefore being always contemporaneous to every age, the message that is needful is focused upon in verses 23 & 24. We that are saved by His blood are His; our duty is to spread the news of salvation to all possible, clearly, simply, without encumbrances or falsehood.

The whole passage, from verse 7 to 29, can be read as an illumination of the need for proper and true witnessing in the Lord's Name. Look at verse 27 for confirmation: "What seekest thou?"- why, salvation for all (For God so loved the world...); and "Why talkest thou with her?"- because the Good News is to be shared, not kept to oneself.

Your Invitation

Suppose no one had ever told you about God, Jesus, the cross or salvation. It's too terrible to consider. If each of us would have had to come to the realisation of God's Plan through our own devices, well, I think its safe to say few if any would have any hope, what with the prince of the world having blinded everyone's eyes. We are the disciples of Jesus; onward!

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