Learning to Lovewell: W5 - THU
Oppressed, Powerless, and Abandoned - Wells or Fences?
John 4:7-19, NLT 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”
Church Planters and thought innovators, Alan and Debra Hirsch, talk in their book, Untamed: Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship, about the difference between building wells versus fences.
In the U.S., ranchers often build fences to help protect their livestock and keep them from roaming off or being stolen. My in-laws are ranchers in Eastern Oregon, and they spend a lot of time building and repairing fences.
But in Australia, the ranches are way too big for fences. Some of the ranches in Australia cover over 24,000 square miles. So instead of fences, they build wells that give the animals access to water. In their experience, the animals won’t wonder far from their source of water.
Obviously, the difference between fences and wells is that fences are about protecting and keeping those that are already within the comfort of those fences. Wells, on the other hand, are open and accessible to all.
Pastor Tim Gillespie first shared this concept with me, and I’ve been taken by it ever since, especially as it relates to the woman at the well. You see, Jesus was offering her living water, and the woman kept putting up fences.
“You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman…” - Fences
Sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket.” - Fence
“Tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship…” - Fence
She wasn’t sure she could trust this Jew; however, Jesus wasn’t going to let her get away with her fence building. He keeps knocking those fences down until she finally opens up to him and lets him in. And what happens when she does?
28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him. (John 4:28-30, NLT)
When she finally opens herself up to what Jesus has to offer, to the living water, she goes and tells everyone that she can, trying to bring them to the well also, so they may drink freely.
There’s a famous line that says, “I’d rather be excluded for who I include, than included for who I exclude.” Jesus was all about building wells, and drawing all to him and the gift of life he had to offer. Yet we live in a world that loves to build fences and make barriers that help us more easily distinguish who is in, and who is out. But this fence building behavior is not kingdom-of-God work.
Jesus wants us all to have access to him, and it is up to us to stand up for and help make away for the most vulnerable, the most attacked, the most judged, the lost and alone in our communities to get to Jesus. So let us all pray for the power and courage to be in the well digging work, instead of the fence building work.
John 4:7-19, NLT 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”
Church Planters and thought innovators, Alan and Debra Hirsch, talk in their book, Untamed: Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship, about the difference between building wells versus fences.
In the U.S., ranchers often build fences to help protect their livestock and keep them from roaming off or being stolen. My in-laws are ranchers in Eastern Oregon, and they spend a lot of time building and repairing fences.
But in Australia, the ranches are way too big for fences. Some of the ranches in Australia cover over 24,000 square miles. So instead of fences, they build wells that give the animals access to water. In their experience, the animals won’t wonder far from their source of water.
Obviously, the difference between fences and wells is that fences are about protecting and keeping those that are already within the comfort of those fences. Wells, on the other hand, are open and accessible to all.
Pastor Tim Gillespie first shared this concept with me, and I’ve been taken by it ever since, especially as it relates to the woman at the well. You see, Jesus was offering her living water, and the woman kept putting up fences.
“You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman…” - Fences
Sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket.” - Fence
“Tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship…” - Fence
She wasn’t sure she could trust this Jew; however, Jesus wasn’t going to let her get away with her fence building. He keeps knocking those fences down until she finally opens up to him and lets him in. And what happens when she does?
28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him. (John 4:28-30, NLT)
When she finally opens herself up to what Jesus has to offer, to the living water, she goes and tells everyone that she can, trying to bring them to the well also, so they may drink freely.
There’s a famous line that says, “I’d rather be excluded for who I include, than included for who I exclude.” Jesus was all about building wells, and drawing all to him and the gift of life he had to offer. Yet we live in a world that loves to build fences and make barriers that help us more easily distinguish who is in, and who is out. But this fence building behavior is not kingdom-of-God work.
Jesus wants us all to have access to him, and it is up to us to stand up for and help make away for the most vulnerable, the most attacked, the most judged, the lost and alone in our communities to get to Jesus. So let us all pray for the power and courage to be in the well digging work, instead of the fence building work.
- What are some of the ways we build fences in our communities today? What delineations do we make that tell people whether they are in or out?
- What do you think well-building looks like in our world today? In what ways do we clear the path for more people to connect with Jesus?
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