The Samaritan woman had worldly wisdom. Life had been rough and she was not going to be easily fooled. She wanted Jesus to know this, and she pointed out immediately that what he said made no earthly sense. He said He would give her living water; if He had living water why would He ask her for a drink? Was it because He had no way to draw from the well? She pointed out that there was no reason to believe that He was greater than their ancestral father Jacob. Jacob dug the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and many future grandsons, but none of them called it living water. The woman did not recognize the term “living water” as referring to the spirit of God, rather she probably envisioned that Jesus was speaking of a flowing spring with pure water that was constantly moving, and was refreshing. The water in the well was stagnant, and would not have been pure.

Jesus once again attempts to lift her eyes from the earthly realities of her life to the heavenly possibilities that He was offering. He told her that the drink He offered would mean she would never thirst again; that it sprang from a well that would give her eternal life. She still did not understand, but she already believed enough to want this water that He was offering. She did not see it as a spiritual offering, but saw it as an opportunity to change her earthly existence. She said, give me this water to drink so that I do not have to keep coming here each day to draw water.

What we see here is quite common. When people of our world are first introduced to Jesus and faith, they judge it based on their worldly experience. A spark of faith may spring forth around basic earthly needs; however, salvation requires faith to move beyond the earthly realm into the spiritual realm. Jesus did not teach an earthly gospel.