In an attempt to undertake a different approach to personal time in the Word, I've allowed myself to be stuck in John chapter 4 to consider all the layers present in these verses - and there are many.
From this encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well, we see an opportunity to teach about "living water", "worship", physical food vs "My food", and discipleship. The instruction given on each of these subjects is quite profound. This interaction led to Jesus and his disciples spending another two days in a Samaritan community in which "many more believed". One of the layers present in this encounter that I had not really considered before was His method.
At first reading, His opening remark to a Samaritan woman whom He had never met before - "Give me a drink" - seems a bit odd, perhaps chauvinistic by today's societal standards. No doubt, there were cultural practices in place here that we don't fully understand. And there were aspects of Jewish / Samaritan cultural division that He tears down here. But I doubt that culture is the only factor influencing the way Jesus interacts with this woman. And I doubt that His first statement was casual.
For starters, the text doesn't say whether the woman actually gave Jesus a drink of water. She may have. But His opening statement is more than just about meeting a particular physical need. What we do see, is that each statement from Jesus, elicits a particular response that He uses to build upon to teach important principles. There is a supernatural element to this encounter demonstrated by a mid-conversation comment about this woman's circumstances that only she and God could have known. Though a first encounter, Jesus knows this woman. You can see examples of this demonstrated in some of His encounters with other people throughout the gospel accounts.
Meeting this particular Samaritan woman at this particular well was a Spirit-led encounter from start to finish. And it began with His statement "Give me a drink".
