The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-02-17

| cefve He sndeavoreI TO make her know
that The water Of which he spoke Was rot
10 he drawn from the well At all. that
would queLch thirst only FOR q time. K.c
y" would give water which would remain
With the person. wherever ne might Eo. AMI
spring ~. within him. even as the living
water az th- bottom of the wcli. producing
not merely physical comfort. but everiast-
ing life. tJohn VII. 81 This :eferenC" 20
the interior. s.tiSrying and abiding portion
was as near &. spiritual teaching as christ
: could come ri that time. Il Is not probable
I that the woman fully graSped the meaning.
Her desire was awakened, however. ami
she requested that she might obtain this
water and so be spared the labor of com
ing 20 the well.
Observation-Disclosures Is to IT, The
figure Of speech thus far employed had
I failed 10 arouse the spiritual nature Of the
Samaritan. She did NOT perceive her need.
neither did she know the person with whom
she corv"rsed. Jesus. therefore. adopted an
J other method. Directing her 10 call her
. husband and return. he received Informal
tiOn which he had before that she was I'M
married. To her statement CT that fact hs
added that she had been five times a widow
and that now she was leading an immoral
lie. having unlawful relation with one who
vas not her husband. This disclosure was
the source Of profound establishment.
greater than that experienced when water
. was requested. The woman understood
what such knowledge signined. \ class oc
, men had moved among the people at in
tervals who saw the sins Of the heart and
life and exposed them. She, therefore.
promptly and meekly replied TO Jesus, K
perceive that thou art a prophet" luke vii.
49, one Important point had been gained.
DIV khSIoN-Nerses - to pa A sinful
woman. face to face with a prophet. ought
10 have inquired after the way Of pardon.
Alas, like many IN our time, she did noe
improve her opportunity. but sought to d.
vert the attention from her sins by rais-
ing Il question The Samaritans had estab-
ltshed public worship in that mountain.
while the Jews claimed that Jerusalem was
the proper place. Il Kings TX. g. She de-
termlned 10 get the decision of this matter
from Jesus, 10 settle a dispute by referring
II 10 one competent to decide. Jesus did
NOT repcl her. but answered, in part. that
the time would come when the people would
worship in neither place; that, for tho
present, the Jews had the advantage over
The Samarttans, because salvation had been
promised lisa. II. 81 through the former
that the time would come and was nor
Tar distant when thu worship OF God would
be spiritual. and on that account accepta-
bic, and when the place of Worship would
be a matte: OF no Importance. I'll Cor. iii.
II Thus Jesus had adroitly led the wou,-
an. as he hal previously done. TO spiritual
matters.
MESSIAH-Verses 25 ard 90 This ;ast
: ~ q Iuluie IlIle1
when true worship should be restored and
sectional pr.judices dismissed, had a most
happy and probably designed influence uu-
On The woman's mind. II called up IN.
faithful Instructions which had been given
IN the synagogue schools as the writings or
the OLD prophets had leen eXpOundcd. All
classes q: people. in Samaria as well as IN
Jud"a, expected 4 Messiah. VIII, a. ,,is
coming would set forth religious duties. be
sides reforming she Government. John l..
~ Hence the woman said In reply 10
jesus that she was aware Of the good time
promised when Messiah should come. Her
remark shows how general was tho infor-
nation and now deepseated was the cor
NiCtIun on the subject. With utmost calm
ness and franknes<. beyond that displayed
on any other occasion. Jesus said: u that
speak unto thee am he" 1; was hi. first
assertion OF himself. Matt. XVI. SSH
CONcLJ SION-This narrative displays
the skill OF Jesus as a teacher.
He began with n request for a drink and
pursued ii conversation by a series of vary
ing remarks until ne made the open dec
iaration Of his MesSianiC character. At
every step he retained The interest Of the
woman. whose mind passed through seven
transitions. until she became fully con-
WINGED Of the nature OF the person before
her Little ny little the light had broken
in. Gradually she advanced from surprise
to conviction. from curiosity 10 confession.
il has always been a cause FOR wonder that
Jesus should have selected this place and
occasion TO make this earliest and boldest
statement concerning himself. But he
knew that the record would be preserved
and that the testimony would he repeated
: until unborn millions should learn to be-
li-yc in him.