Transforming CultureSample

God of Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (NKJV)

If we look at the“woman at the well” in John 4:1-42, we see this exemplified.

In this passage, Jesus is tired and stops to have a drink at Jacob’s well after His disciples go into town to get some food. As Jesus is resting by the well, He has a powerful exchange with a woman who would have been seen as an outcast in that society.

Here are some insights to consider:

1- Jesus reveals that she had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband (John 4:16-18). In that culture, this would have made her socially unacceptable and the likely subject of gossip.

2- Jews and Samaritans had deep-seated resentments toward each other, and Jewish people often avoided Samaritans entirely (John 4:9). The fact that Jesus, a Jewish man, spoke to her reveals the magnitude of compassion that our Lord carried.

3- She came to the well at the sixth hour (around noon), which was unusual since women typically gathered water in the cooler morning hours. This suggests she was avoiding others, probably due to rejection from her community.

These insights are important because they show us that God loves us all, and He can use anyone who makes themselves available to Him and His will.

As Jesus speaks with her, He shares truth, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, and His compassion and love for her. Her response? She ran back into town and screamed about Jesus from the rooftops. The whole town, “Samaria called Sychar,” became stirred up for Jesus, so much so that He and His disciples spent two days there, and “many more became believers.”

The“woman at the well” is a great example of someone who needed and received the Lord’s comfort, and yet in that moment, the Father still used her to bring His comfort to many others.

Pray: Lord, help me to receive and share your grace and comfort in all seasons.