Grab a Bible and read John 4:4-26. Don’t miss what Jesus says in vs. 26.

There are lots of cool encounters Jesus had with people. But this one with the woman at the well is one of the coolest. Jesus broke many barriers to speak into her life. First, in Jesus’ day, a man would not have spoken to a woman in this type of setting. Second, Samaritans and Jews hated each other. It’s a really long story, but basically, the Jews disliked the Samaritans so much that they would go miles out of their way to keep from walking through the region of Samaria. But Jesus didn’t care one bit.

He didn’t sugarcoat anything, either. He began to face the woman about her faith. The woman tried to get Jesus off-track by bringing up the religious arguments that existed between the Jews and Samaritans. Jesus didn’t bite. Instead, He turned the spotlight on her life of sexual recklessness. What an amazing encounter! Jesus went straight to what she really needed, and didn’t let up until she understood what was going on.

So, what was going on? Verse 26 sheds light on it. Jesus, the Messiah, was reaching someone in desperate need of a Savior. He spoke the truth. And instead of scaring her away, He drew her in. Think about this next time you have the opportunity to speak into someone’s life. Don’t shy away from the tough subjects. It’s the people who are hurting the most that need the peace only Christ can bring.