Parable of the Deep Well
This story is an enrichment lesson from volume three of Godly Play. It's a parable about parables. There are golden threads that weave the stories and golden threads that allow us to pull the water from the well. Which golden thread is your favorite? We have added more scripture stories that include "wells" to this page also.
John 4:13-15 ESV
Jesus said to the women at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” Revelation 21:6 ESV And he said to me, “… To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. |
The Samaritan Woman at the Well
The Samaritan women at the well had a complicated life. First, Samaritan’s were "a mixed race people" who had intermarried with the Assyrians centuries before. They were not liked by the Jews because of this cultural mixing; they had their own version of the Bible and their own temple on Mount Gerizim. Additionally, the Samaritan woman was faced with unacceptance from her own community. , This woman was shunned and rejected by the other women of the area for her immorality. She came to draw water at the hottest part of the day, so she would not be seen. Jesus knew her history but still offered her grace and ministered to her. When Jesus reached out to the Samaritan woman he showed that His mission was to all people, not just the Jews. The Samaritan woman was amazed that grace could be offered to her and shared this great news so others could experience His compassionate heart. Not feeling accepted is a deep concept and that is very complicated. We are marginalized because of our accent, academic skills, financial status, skin color, personality, and countless other attributes. Jesus continually provides us stories about His grace (unconditional love) which he has freely given to all of us. He has graciously presented us the living water. The water is for us to ingest and then extravagantly extend it to our friends, neighbors, community and the world. The best part is this well was built long before the Samaritan woman needed the water; the well was already dug ready to meet her needs. He does that for us, too! We would like to share this story and water experiments and STEM activities with our Sunday School children during this warm July weekend. Some of these activities include: constructing a bicycle carwash, creating a water bomb, building a waterwheel, erecting a backyard water wall, and assembling a water bottle sun catcher |
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