First Thoughts: The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman seems to begin as a theological discussion, which seems to be how many churches approach their faith. We try to figure out which belief systems are valid, what it means to be "good enough," who should or shouldn't be in our group and so on. This is all of us trying to create a coherent system of thought upon which we can build a "righteous" life. But we see in the passage that Jesus quickly brings the conversation past the intellectual surface to find the central truth: This woman is thirsty and hungry. She has been seeking the answer to her hunger in a variety of unsatisfying religious and interpersonal relationships. He tells her there is only one thing that can satisfy her deepest desire: a relationship with God. Ultimately any vital, faithful expression of the Christian life has to go beyond the idea of faith to the experience of faith. We must let go of our own constructs, our own need for control, to risk falling into God's hands. I recently encountered a quote from Rabbi Abraham Hesche, who says: "Prayer begins at the edge of emptiness." We must be willing to come empty, to come hungry, in order to find the real food for our soul.
Teaching On Your Own: (holds cookie) Hey everybody. Do you guys like chocolate chip cookies? Yep, chocolate chip cookies are my favorite. What if I told you this was a special cookie? And if you ate this cookie you would never need to eat another cookie again? Would you believe me? Maybe not, right? It's hard to imagine eating just one cookie and never wanting another one, right? But in our story today Jesus told us that there is a way for us to never be hungry or thirsty again. Is that hard to believe? Well, let's look at our story today.
Jesus was thirsty and back then they didn't have sinks where they could just pour water into a cup. They had to draw water from a well dug in the ground. So Jesus went to the local well and met a woman there. He saw that she had a bucket and asked her to get him some water. She agreed. Then Jesus told her that he would give her a special kind of water which would help her never to be thirsty again. What kind of water could you drink that would help you never to be thirsty again? Jesus was talking about living water. Jesus knew that this woman -- and all of us really -- need more in our lives than just feeding our bodies. We need to be loved and cared for, we need to know our lives are meaningful and inspired, we need to share our gifts with those around us. For us to do all these things we need something besides just regular water. We need living water. So where do you think you find this living water? That's what the woman wanted to know too. Jesus said that living water would come from our own hearts. Every time we pray, every time we worship together, every time we see a beautiful sunset or share a hug with a friend -- every time we know that God is with us, living water pours out from our hearts and our thirst is gone. Isn't that great news? The woman thought so too. In fact when she heard it, the living water came up in her heart right then and she ran off to share the good news with all her friends. Because when the living water is in you, it pours through you into the world. So everyone can drink the living water and know God loves them too.
Teaching As A Team:
(Leader 1 has the cookie)
Leader 2: (sees cookie) Hey (name), what do you have there?
Leader 1: A chocolate chip cookie.
Leader 2: I LOVE cookies, especially chocolate chip.
Leader 1: What if I told you this was a very special cookie? And if you ate this cookie you would never need to eat another cookie again? Would you believe me?
Leader 2: (considers) Ummm, no. I don't think I could ever get enough chocolate chip cookies.
Leader 1: You know what? You're right. If you eat this cookie you'll probably want another one pretty soon. But in our story today Jesus told us that there is a way for us to never be hungry or thirsty again.
Leader 2: That's hard to believe.
Leader 1: Let's look at our story today. Jesus was thirsty and back then they didn't have sinks where they could just pour water into a cup. They had to draw water from a well dug in the ground. So Jesus went to the local well and met a woman there. He saw that she had a bucket and asked her to get him some water. She agreed. Then Jesus told her that he would give her a special kind of water which would help her never to be thirsty again.
Leader 2: I don't really understand. Drinking water is like eating a cookie. If you drink some water right now you're going to get thirsty again, right?
Leader 1: Right. But Jesus was talking about living water. Jesus knew that this woman -- and all of us really -- need more in our lives than just feeding our bodies. We need to be loved and cared for, we need to know our lives are meaningful and inspired, we need to share our gifts with those around us. For us to do all these things we need something besides just regular water. We need living water.
Leader 2: But where do we find living water?
Leader 1: That was exactly the woman's question! Jesus said that living water would come from our own hearts. Every time we pray, every time we worship together, every time we see a beautiful sunset or share a hug with a friend -- every time we know that God is with us, living water pours out from our hearts and our thirst is gone.
Leader 2: I bet the woman was glad to hear that news!
Leader 1: You bet she was. In fact when she heard it, the living water came up in her heart right then and she ran off to share the good news with all her friends. Because when the living water is in you, it pours through you into the world. So everyone can drink the living water and know God loves them too.
Closing Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the living water which comes out of our own hearts. We pray that you show us how to increase the flow of living water in our lives, so we can drink that water ourselves and share it with others. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
Follow-Up Lesson: To reinforce this message in a home or classroom environment, spend some time talking about things that we want. You might focus on favorite foods, favorite toys, and favorite activities. Point out that what all these things have in common is that they don't last forever. We always reach the last bite of that cookie, toys wear out or we outgrow them, and activities come to an end. At some point, we find ourselves wanting more which means that these things aren't really satisfying us. See if the children understand what it means to be satisfied. Satisfied means you feel content and happy, and don't want anything else. Nothing we can give ourselves in the world really keeps us satisfied.
Now return to the story of the woman at the well. She too was unsatisfied. Every day she had to come back to the well and get more water. In her personal life, she had many relationships that didn't work out well. Really, she was lonely, and her greatest need was to know someone loved her. When Jesus offered her living water, he was really showing her that her heart could be full of love and joy when she realized how much God loved her.
Ask the children to think of a time when they felt very loved and safe. Invite them to share their memory. What's it like when you feel that way? Are you fidgety, looking for something else to do? Or do you rest in that feeling, happy to just soak it in and enjoy it? When we know God loves us, the feeling of being loved can stay in our hearts all the time, ready to fill us with joy and to share that joy with others.
For a craft idea, provide each student with their own cup, either glass or clear plastic. (You can use disposable for this, but I would recommend something permanent. Personally I like to go to local thrift stores and buy cheap glasses for projects like this.) Also provide them with markers specially designed for glass or paints and paintbrushes. Begin by printing the verse on each glass (or do it in advance of class): "Out of the believer's heart flows rivers of living water" (John 7:38). Then invite the children to decorate with images that remind them of God's love for them. Encourage them to place their glass on the bathroom sink or on their bedside table, so they can use them on a regular basis and remember that, just as the water they drink refreshes their bodies, the water that flows from their own hearts refreshes the whole world. Close in prayer.
