It Is Okay!

John.4:^6-7 “Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” (emphasis added).

Today’s scripture reference shows us both the humanity and humility of Jesus. John tells us that Jesus was weary, tired, and thirsty. This is Jesus the water of life, the Rock that gave water to the Jews when they were in the wilderness. Jesus was that rock; that is why there was an issue when Moses struck the rock. He is the Maker of the heavens and the earth; yet He walked on earth, got tired, and had to sit down. It is okay to be tired. If you need to sleep, there is nothing wrong with it; go and sleep. There was a time in my life that I used to feel very guilty when I sleep. Why am I sleeping when there is so much work to be done? But God delivered me. Jesus shows us that it is okay to sit down – it is okay. It is okay to pause and gather yourself when you are tired.

In that culture and in those times, men felt superior to women. So, for Jesus to ask and ask nicely was humility. If He decided to take the woman’s bucket, I am sure she could not fight Him. But Jesus said, “Please give me a drink.” Yet some of us cannot just be humble for a second and say, ‘please’. You have done something wrong and you cannot even say, ‘sorry’. Some argue; ‘How can you expect me to say sorry to you know? When I was in Secondary school, you were still in primary school.’ Really? If Jesus, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, can say ‘please’ then who are you exactly? If Jesus can say ‘please’ then who do you think you are that you cannot say, ‘please’? It is humbling to see Jesus take this path of humility – instructive. This is Jesus; He owns everything, even the well and He still said, “Please, can I have some water.” Wow!

The next question is, why did the Samaritan woman go to Jacob’s well at noon, at the hottest part of the day? People typically fetch water in the morning or in the evening when it is cool, not at noon. They had to carry the water long distances back home because mostly the water sources were at the outskirts of the village. Walking such long distances, carrying water at noon was unusual. But she came at noon, why? The truth is that Jesus would have met her at whatever time she showed up if God determined for Jesus to meet her. What this means for you and I is, sometimes we are ashamed of maybe things in our lives. So, we do not want to show up maybe among classmates because everybody is driving a Mercedes Benz and you are cruising a ‘Leg-edes-Benz’. You take a motorbike and stop three blocks away from the meeting. Then dust your suit, wipe off the sweat, drink some water, and go in for the meeting. When the meeting ends, you hang out in the lobby until everyone goes then you find your way. I used to do that too.

It was a suspicious time to come to the well. She had had five husbands; the Rabbi’s had declared three to be the limit for women. She was ashamed of herself, but Jesus was not ashamed of her. There may be things in your life that you think you are ashamed of, Jesus is not ashamed of you.

Prayer: Father, I thank You for taking away reproach from my life. Help me stay humble and find rest in You always, in Jesus Name. Amen!