Jesus left Judea’s towns,
The Jews had made them hot.
To Galilee he meant to go,
‘Twas a long way for to trot.

But coming to Samaria,
To Sychar more precise,
He stopped to rest at Jacob’s well,
Met woman not too nice.

Disciples all had gone to town,
Some food they had to buy.
Jesus to the woman spoke,
And she did wonder why.

“I want a drink, so get me one….”
Quite puzzled she became.
“Why would this Jew speak to me
Who am Samaritan?”

“You don’t know who I am”, he said,
“Or what to you I give;
I have the living water here,
Just drink and you will live”

Astonished now, she asked him where
She’d get this living drink.
“I’d never have to draw again”
She now began to think.

He didn’t answer what she asked,
Instead began to press.
He told her all she’d ever done;
Her life was quite a mess.

“You are a prophet, I perceive”
She added with a start-
The Holy Spirit had begun
To speak into her heart.

She questioned him about the Mount
And where their fathers prayed.
Or should it be Jerusalem
Where God would be displayed?

Jesus said the time would come
When neither would be true.
Samaritans are ignorant,
Salvation’s from the Jews.

The time will come, and now is here
When God will surely be
Worshipped in the spirit and in
Truth perpetually.

These are they the Father seeks
For of spirit he consists.
To love in spirit and in truth,
Without this you will miss.

But still she tried to dodge and turn,
She couldn’t understand.
“Messiah, when he gets here will
Our knowledge soon expand”.

Then Jesus quite explicitly-
Which he didn’t always do-
Said “I am he; I am the One;
Messiah, who is true”.

Just then disciples had returned
And wondered why he spoke
To a woman; this is bad,
She should have been a bloke.

She bolted past them, went to town,
Left water jar behind.
Had to speak to everyone,
To all whom she could find.

“He told me all I ever did;
Could this Messiah be?”
So all from town to Jesus came,
To see if this was he.

They urged him to remain with them
And so he stayed two days.
The living water gave to them,
So Jesus they did praise.

“The Saviour of the world is he;
Of this we’re now convinced
Not just because the woman said,
For he himself evinced”.

And so these sinners of Sychar
Who didn’t have the light.
Into the kingdom entered in
And now they have the right

To be called children of our God
And born of his Spirit.
Forgiveness of their sins have they,
And eternal life inherit.

Jesus today is still the same,
Eternal life he gives.
This gift he offers even now
To everyone who lives.

He cleanses us from all our sin,
He makes us white as wool.
He clothes us with his righteousness,
Makes us acceptable.

This power he obtained for us
By dying on the cross.
He hung and suffered in our place
So we’d not suffer loss.

So if, my friend, you’re labouring
From sin and bondage hard,
Come to Jesus, come right now,
He’ll heal what sin has scarred.

He’ll wash you and he’ll give you peace,
His Spirit he will send,
He’ll fill you with himself and give
Life that will never end.

There is no other like Jesus,
As loving as our Lord.
Living water’s his to give
And raise you heavenward.

R. H. Rudge 2006