2026 Lent Devotions
Friday, March 6
John 4:16-30
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”
27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” 28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” 30 They left the city and were on their way to him.
“… “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. …”
First impressions are the most lasting. At least, that’s what we are told. Once a person establishes that initial identity, it’s hard to imagine anything else.
That’s not the case with the woman at the well. Her first impression of Jesus is simply a wandering Jew who’s thirsty. As they talk, she comes to realize that he also speaks in riddles – something about living water. Now, he’s obviously a prophet because he knows about her life. Little does she know that soon he will himself to be the Messiah. For the woman, her movement from first impressions to a faithful response is nothing short of amazing.
As we think about our call as followers of Jesus to spread the Word, we don’t have the option of having the physical Jesus looking for a drink from a well. Instead, all we can share is our experience of the crucified and risen Lord. Knowing that, the first impressions we make before others often dictates what kind of response – faithful or otherwise – happens.
That means showing forth God’s love through hospitality, openness, inclusion, service, hopefulness, and caring all deserve high priority in our lives. Those “first impressions” can lead others to a greater awareness of Jesus as Messiah and Lord, just at it did for the woman at the well.
Prayer: Anointed One, you send us forth to share Your Word with others. Teach me the ways that I may reach others with Your words of grace, hope, peace, and life. Amen.