Offering Water

Gratitude Experiments 1 - Offering Water 

February 9, 2025 

John 4:1-15 

Today’s scripture begins with Jesus passing through Samaria…and if we remember the parable of the good Samaritan, we know Samaritans were looked down on by Jews as being a lesser people. Jesus passed through in the middle of the day and stopped at a well named after Jacob—the one who wrestled with God and was changed. He was also the man known as Israel who became the father of 12 sons who formed what became the 12 tribes of Israel. It’s important to note that Jacob was a “heel-grabber;” he literally came out of his mother’s womb grabbing his brother’s heel trying to be the first born, and he figuratively became a heel grabber by stealing his brother’s birthright and blessing through dishonest means as well. He was a scoundrel whom God transformed. The fact that Jesus stopped at Jacob’s well is significant. 

A woman came to gather water midday while Jesus was there. Most of the women went to draw water in the cool of the early morning. She didn’t. Why? Because she didn’t want to be around the other women, perhaps because she was a topic of their gossip. As we learn in the text, she was an outcast. It would have been easier for her to deal with the heat of the sun than the scorn and ridicule of the community. I can imagine the hesitancy when Jesus was sitting there as she arrived. Of course this meeting wasn’t by chance, and when she arrived, Jesus initiated the conversation, asking her for a drink. The woman said in return, “You are obviously a Jew and I am a Samaritan, why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus responded, “If you knew who I was and the gift of God here with you, then you would be asking me for a drink of water. She didn’t understand. How could she, right? Then Jesus said, “EVERYONE WHO DRINKS FROM THIS WATER WILL BE THIRSTY AGAIN BUT WHOEVER DRINKS THE WATER I GIVE WILL NEVER BE THIRSTY AGAIN. THE WATER I GIVE WILL BECOME SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER WELLING UP ETERNAL LIFE.”

Now, this sounded appealing to the woman. Can you imagine in her mind the thought of not having to come to that well ever again and have to endure either the cold o rejection or the heat of the day? That was a welcomed thought. She said GIVE ME A DRINK OF THAT WATER SO I DON'T HAVE TO KEEP COMING HERE. Jesus says to her next GO GET YOUR HUSBAND. Now, Jesus knew she didn’t have a husband and he knew she had been passed around in marriage many times. This was the root of her shame and the ridicule of the women. Jesus was not trying to rub it in her face nor make her feel even more shame. What he wanted was to make sure she knew that he knew everything about her and was still offering this living water that springs up wells of eternal life—despite her past, despite her devaluation, despite her history of abandonment.

The Greek word for gratitude is EUCHARISTA. At the core of that word is CHARIS, the Greek word for GRACE. AT THE ROOT OF GRATITUDE WE CAN SEE THE WORD, GRACE. IN MANY WAYS, GRATITUDE IS AN ACT OF GRACE. Gratitude is offering something to someone regardless of whether it is deserved. Jesus sought out this Samaritan woman to save her because she was lost, feeling shame because of the world's scorn. He offered her dignity and relationship. AND HE DID IT BY OFFERING HER A DRINK OF WATER. 

Let me tell you a little about the culture Jesus lived in. They believed offering someone a drink of water was a very spiritual endeavor, one that carried with it significant responsibility. They believed that if you offered someone who was thirsty a drink of water then you owed them a year’s worth of friendship. (PAUSE). DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? I didn’t say that wrong. Let me say it clearer . . . in first century Palestine, if you were thirsty and I offered you a drink of water then I OWED YOU A YEAR’S WORTH OF FRIENDSHIP. They felt that serving others was an integral part of who we are as human beings, and that this was the only way we find fulfillment as humans: to serve someone else, and then express gratitude to them, and that gratitude is GRACE. In other words, it doesn’t matter who the person is that is receiving your service, receiving your gratitude, receiving your grace. And in one instance, Jesus modeled that with this woman who came to draw water at Jacob’s well, who was another who had more than his share of failures and brokenness but God transformed. 

Which brings us to our gratitude experiments. We are going to start living out gratitude by dipping our toes in the water so to speak (maybe a little pun intended there). What I’m asking is for every person to participate in this, including our kids with your help as they are able. We have established a new email address that we want you to know that will be live all year long. The email address is What we want and need from you are gratitude testimonies. As you see God moments or God Sightings, as you do these experiments, we want to hear about them. This way we can learn things from each other. 

This week’s experiment has to do with water. Specifically, I want everyone to take 2 bottles of water with you from our Narthex (Lobby), and I want you to be intentional on finding someone to give them to. If you are worshiping at home, please feel free to come by anytime when the office is open and get yours. You may want to say a little prayer in the morning, Lord let me find someone who is thirsty, who needs water. Keep water in your backpack or in your car or in your office and be on the lookout. And when you find someone, go and offer them a bottle of water. I’m sure they might look at you weird. It is so uncommon in our world. You can say - my church has asked every member to give someone who we think looks thirsty to give them a bottle of water and say thank you for the opportunity to serve you. You may not want to say anything. I just want you to be on the lookout for people who are thirsty. Now, that can be a literal thirst or a different kind of thirsty. In fact, you may feel a God nudge to give a bottle of water to someone who doesn’t look thirsty at all. We never know. You may find someone in the gym or on the trail at don fox park or you may find someone in the parking lot at Kroger frustrated as they try to load their groceries with a crying baby. You may find someone pounding the pavement running down main street or you may find someone sitting on the side of the road with nowhere to go. You may see someone running laps on the track at school or see someone sitting by themselves at lunch. Thirst takes many forms. By giving this bottle of water to someone, we are expressing gratitude to them for the privilege of serving them. It is an act of grace. And for that, we say - Thank you God AMEN