Dear Christian friends:

Ponce de Leon searched for the fountain of youth. Thought he had found it when he came to Florida. But he died. In our text we learn about the real fountain of youth. If someone could give you water or medicine to restore your youth and prolong your life in perfect health, you would sell all that you have to get it, no price would be too great.

Jesus offers to us that water. He calls it:


We shall see that this water is the Word of God. This water satisfies man's deepest thirst and this water compels man to give it to others.

When Jesus told the woman of our text that if she drank His water she would never thirst again, the woman said, "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come here to draw." She thought that Jesus had some magic water to satisfy physical thirst. But Jesus did not give her that kind of water. But He began to preach God's Word to her, showing that God's Word is the living water.

First by God's Word Jesus showed the woman her sins. (verses 16-19) He made her feel ashamed and thirsty for God's mercy.

So God's Word does that for you and I. Yesterday morning, Ida read the headlines of the newspaper about the Negro bank robbers in Richland and the children wanted to know more about it. Finally, Sarah said, "Why do people steal and kill and be so mean? I thought a minute and then asked her: Why do you fight and be mean to your brothers and sisters? Kathy says, "Because our hearts are sinful." I said, "That is also why the Negroes robbed the bank."

Kathy says, "But we are not murderers like they; we are not as bad." I said, "Yes you are." "How come?" she said. "Because when you fight and quarrel you cause father and mother sorrow and grief and shorten their life's by sorrow, just as Jacobs wicked sons caused him much grief, breaking his heart and sending him to his grave before his time." (Genesis 37)

So God's Word convicts each one of us and proves to us that we are sinful: godless, disobedient, murderers, thieves, liars, gossips and jealous. So Jesus' Word did with this woman in our text.

Then Jesus continued preaching to her showing her the Gospel. The woman thought that she could get forgiveness by continuing to worship as the Samaritans. She said, "I think you are a prophet: Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Abraham had worshipped in that mountain.

These Samaritans were part Jewish and part Syrian and they had some of the Jewish religion and some idols. But again it was a religion that taught self-righteousness, dependence on outward works and places. Arguing about which day and which place: "You Jesus say Jerusalem is the place to meet God, we say this mountain." Jesus said the place is not important. Outward works and laws mean nothing, but the heart must believe and love. Read verses 21-26.

The heart must know, and believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world by His perfect life and by His obedient suffering and death. Worship days: Saturday or Sunday; Places: Rome or Jerusalem or Mecca are not important. Keeping days, places, laws, making pilgrimages to Rome, Mecca or Lourdes does not forgive our sin. But Jesus Christ does. He is God's Son and Mary's, our brother who sacrificed Himself for all men. This Good News is "the living Water."

Do you believe this? If you do, you will be more eager to hear preaching and study God's Word, because that is how His Word flows to your heart to satisfy your thirsty soul. David said: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God." ( Psalm 42:1) Do you crave God's Word like that? You should and you will, if you remember it is the Water of Life.

It satisfies man's deepest craving. And what is mans deep craving? To have forgiveness and friendship with God. Man's sin and pride and vanity cut him off from God and set him at enmity against God.

People deep down in their hearts hate God and resent Him, but outwardly they do nice and pretend to love God. Very few people will confess that they hate God, some do as the Communists and Khrushchev. But all men are born with deep enmity against God including you and I. Because of this man is troubled and afraid and empty in the heart. He seeks to satisfy that empty heart.

Some try by drinking too much. Some by working too much or partying too much. Some give up and curse God or blame God. Some kill themselves. Man really desires peace with God, but doesn't know it. This is his thirst.

The Gospel of Jesus tells man that God has forgiven his sin in Jesus. He is not angry. He wants to be at peace. This is the living "water" that satisfies the empty heart of man.

We who have this living water and satisfied our thirst will gladly try to bring that water of life to others. We will not let anything hinder us in that important work. Jesus was eager to give that good water to this woman. Although she was an adulterer and a Samaritan. So we should not let race or wickedness of men hinder us, but patiently and gladly go to all men regardless.

Also we should feel, like Jesus, a need to hurry in bringing that water to others. (verses 31-35) Don't postpone it. But take it up and do it now. Tomorrow may be to late. The farmer doesn't postpone the harvest of ripe wheat.

Don't be discouraged by the results. Jesus says some plant His Word while others reap the fruit of that planting. (verses 36-38) Too often we get discouraged if we do not quickly win someone or have success. But preaching and witnessing is like planting. It takes a long time. First you plant the seed and wait patiently for it to sprout and grow and at last give fruit. So is preaching and witnessing.

We plant God's word in men's hearts by preaching and witnessing. Then we should be patient and wait for God to bless that word. Maybe we die before we see the fruits and another man sees it. But regardless whether you are the planter or the reaper you will rejoice together one day in heaven, as you see all the great harvest of souls.

God help us to see this and believe. May the Word of God be a fountain in our hearts to give eternal life to ourselves and others.

Amen.