The Yale expositor., 1908-02-14
Jesus and the
Woman of Samaria
Sunday School Lesson Tor Feb. 9, 1908
Specially Prepared for This Paper

I-ESSON TEAT.-John 4:l-42. Memory
verses %. "a
GOLDEN TENTH any man thirst.
let him come unto me, and drink."-John
1881.
TlME.-Jesus had spent most OF the
summer and autumn in Judea The Incl
dent at Jacobs well was probably in
December, A. ID. q. 1t was near the
close of the first year Of Jesus ministry
John still preaching at Enon near the
| Jordan.
PLACE.-Jacob's well. near Sychar. be-
tween Mts Ebal and Gerizim in Sa-
maria.
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES.-1. The
soul full of thirsts (Psa. els Matt.
b:6; 1926; Rom. 1928, "A; Psa. 511-1O; 631-3;
Rev. BIO. 3 Worldly things cannot sat
isfy the souls thirsts der. 2:lS; lisa. 55:2;
Psa. 1918; Feel 1:l2-l4: 2:I-1l: Rom.
i:B-24). 3. The water OF eternal life (Psa.
1914; 42:l; 23:2: Matt. $50; John 4:1O. Il:
1851 IS; lisa. 55:1-S, 1913; 4l:17. IS; 44:S.
SOL, Z; 1913; Rev. 22:l, >; Eek: f12;
1928.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
V. 8. Now Jacobs well was there"
One of the few sites about which
there is no dispute" Ii is situated In
the fork of the two roads that lead to
Galilee from this region, one run.
northeast to the fords of the
Jordan. few miles south of
the lake, the other going to the
northwest by way of the south
ern pass into the plain of Esdraelon
directly toward Nazareth. The well
is 20 feet deep, but was originally
much deeper, as the bottom has been
hlled up with rubbish. The well is
about seven feet six inches in diane.
eter, but the mouth of 1t is a mar
row neck four feet long, and only
large enough for man to pass
through with arms uplifted See Hast
ings' Bible Dict.
Near the place where Christ talked
with the Samaritan woman now
stands a Baptist church, with a regu-
lar congregation Of a hundred per-
sons. "-Jewish Messenger.
Jesus therefore, being wearied
with his journey" He had probably |
been walking several hours. as the |
Orientals were accustomed to start |
early in the morning, and It was now |
about the sixth hour" or noon, ac-
cording TO Jewish reckoning. Jo-
sephus CAntiquities) describes Moses
as sitting weary by we'll at midday.
Jesus was weary in his work, not of il.
The wise approach by courteously
rising and asking a favor that could
easily be granted. The Syriac Cordex
implies that Jesus rose and stood to
meet politely the standing woman.
and this standing was one thing that
caused his disciples to marvel Give
me to drink" Jesus asked for water
because he needed it, but he used the
request as a means of preparing the
way for his teaching. A useless re-
quest would have defeated his pur-
pose
IL. 'Whosoever drinketh Of this
water shall thirst again." This water
only bodily thirst. and for
brief periods-a type Of all worldly
supplies for the deeper thirst of the
soul
Every person is full of wants long
Ings. desires, hopes, both of the body
and of the soul. There are the thirsts
Tor pleasure, for power, for money. for
respect, for love, for knowledge. There
are thirsts for the friendship and love
Of God, for forgiveness, immortal
life, holiness, happiness, usefulness.
heaven, larger sphere and broader
life. The larger the soul the more
md greater are its thirsts.
The greatness of any being is meas
lred Cd by the number of his de.
iires and thirsts; CD by their quail
ty; CD by their capacity, intensity.
Dead and Living Water.-"The old
ireeks believed that, before passing
o the Elysian Field, all souls could
rink from the River Lethe. and for
ret the sins and sorrows they had
experienced in this world. The liv.
ng water which Christ offers does not s
nable us to forget our sorrows. but It
elps us to bear them. 1t is not a
relude to a life of ease, but a stimu.
us for the struggle entailed on all
mo follow Jesus. c
V. 26. Jesus declares to the woman {
hat he is the expected Messiah. 81 a
am he S
True Worship.-(D God wants all men
worship him, because thus they be. q
ONE like him. near to him. (2) Thus S
very heart may become hallowed v
round. (3) Worship must be spiritual
lther than formal. ca 1t must be sin.
ere. CO. 1t is the fruit of love rath. 5
r than fear. CO. True worship can. c
OF be separated from morality. while
worship can. CD Worship is h
ssentlal to the religious life. (Sl a
orms and rites are valuable only as Ii
ley aid the spirit in its Worship. (el fl
is not necessary to renounce forms
or some form is necessary i'm pub. Il
c Worship, but to fill the forms with d
lie true, spirit "
(10) Sir Matthew Hale found that e.
aver gave a "tincture of devotion" h
all secular employments; that iii
as Christian chemistry, converting
ose acts which are materially natu. N
] and civil into acts truly and for. b,
ally religious" He discovered in Ct
lbitual devotion what Herbert calls q
he elixir" of life. &c
We need personal interest in the 70