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Bible study March 8th

“How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me?”

Week beginning Sunday 8th of March
Lectionary Reading: John 4.5–42

Two Thirsty People at a Well

Aim

To explore how Jesus meets us in our tiredness and thirst, and how encounter leads to dignity, awakening and invitation.

Icebreaker

Share briefly about a time you felt deeply tired — not just physically, but emotionally or spiritually.

What was exhausting you?
Did you tell anyone?
What helped, if anything?

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
you who sat down tired at the well,
meet us in our weariness today.
Where we are thirsty, give us living water.
Where we feel hidden, see us.
Where we are burdened, lighten us.

1. Entering the Story

Read John 4.5–15 slowly.
Pause briefly to reflect

Then read John 4.16–30 and 39–42.

Sit in silence for a while
You may then read the story from the woman’s point of view

Share briefly

What words or sentences caught your attention

2. Compassion – Two Thirsty People

(10 minutes)

The Gospel tells us:

“Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well.”
The story begins with fatigue.
Jesus asks, “Give me a drink.”
Grace begins not with performance, but with need.

I wonder:

What does it mean that Jesus begins with thirst
What kind of God asks for help
Where are you most aware of your own thirst right now
What would change if we believed that need is not weakness

Discuss in small groups.

3. Culture – Crossing Boundaries

(10 minutes)

This encounter crosses deep divides:
Jew and Samaritan.
Man and woman.
Insider and outsider.
She says, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me?”

Jesus does not argue history. He begins with water.

I wonder:

What boundaries exist in our culture that keep people apart
Who in our community feels they must come to the well at noon
How does Jesus model dignity without humiliation
Where are we called simply to sit beside someone

4. The Jar – What We Carry

We are told:

“The woman left her water jar and went back to the city.”
The jar represents survival, responsibility and routine.
She does not reject daily life.
But she is no longer defined by it.

I wonder:

What “jar” are you carrying at the moment
Which responsibilities are life-giving
Which have quietly become your identity
What would it feel like to put one down, even briefly

5. From Isolation to Invitation

She arrives alone.
She leaves as a witness.
“Come and see.”
She does not offer arguments.
She offers encounter.

I wonder:

What shifted inside her
When did shame begin to loosen
What would our church look like if we invited people to “come and see” rather than “come and perform”
How might our own encounters with Christ become invitation

6. Spirit and Truth

Jesus says:

“The hour is coming when true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth.”

Spirit — openness, breath, aliveness.
Truth — honesty, no pretending.

I wonder:

What truth are you carrying quietly
What new life might be rising within you
What does worship look like when we bring our tiredness rather than our strength

Closing Prayer

Invite people to sit quietly with hands open.
If you are tired, you are in the right place.
If you are thirsty, you are in the right place.

Silence.

Lord Jesus,
you who asked for water,
meet us in our need.
Where we feel ashamed, remain.
Where we feel dry, let a spring rise.
Send us back into our communities
not scolded,
but awakened.