9 March 2026

The woman at the well is touched deeply by Christ’s intimate knowledge of her and the  acceptance he demonstrates through his engaging conversation at Jacob’s well. As a result,  she goes off to the city to tell other people about Jesus. And ‘Many Samaritans from that city believed because of the woman’s testimony.’

Some may call this missionary endeavour. But that gives it a formal and fearful aspect. The truth is that she couldn’t do anything else. Something remarkable had happened at the well. She couldn’t keep it to herself. She simply had to share it!

And this is our testimony too, isn’t it? We have met the risen  Christ by well or in kirk, in illness or in grief, childhood or old age, in shame or guilt and we have been touched by his grace, his forgiveness, his mercy. And things have never been the same again!

When she goes off to the city,  she leaves behind her water-jug! I think this is the most charming detail of the whole tale. Such a small and insignificant thing until you realise that the jug was valuable to her and to Jesus. He needed it to quench his thirst.

And there’s the rub. He needed it and she judged he needed it more than her. She left it behind without comment. Did she forget it or did she deliberately leave it? Whatever, it constitutes a ministry of forgetfulness.

Self-forgetfulness. That’s the beginning of every ministry. Sometimes we’re too self-conscious about it. Don’t worry. This discipline will grow into something  more with practice. We need to start somewhere. So begin modestly  with the water-jug!